mm' 



iliiftlilii; 

iiilSil- 



Fly-Rods and Fly-Tackle 



SUGGESTIONS 

AS TO THEIR MANUFACTURE AND USE 



r^ 
,i^l 



By henry p. wells 



ILLUSTRATED 




NEW YORK 

HARPER (£: BROTHERS, FRANKLIN S-QUARE 

1885 






Copyright, 1885, by Harper & Brothers. 

All rights reserved. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Page 

Fish-hooks, and the Principles ichich Govern their Efficiency . 

CHAPTER II. 
Hoio Fish-hooks are Made 83 

CHAPTER III 
Lines Ji.0 

CHAPTER IV. 
Leaders 55 

CHAPTER V. 

Reels 00 

CHAPTER VI 
Rods and Rod Material 99 

CHAPTER VII 
Rod-making 156 

CHAPTER VIII 
Repairs 233 



Contents. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Page 

Casting the Fly 257 



CHAPTER X. 
Flies and Fly-fishing ^87 

CHAPTER XL 

Miscellaneous Suggestions 333 

INDEX 359 



INTRODUCTION. 



Not before you anglers loJio have grovm gray in 
the use of the rod do I presume to display my feeble 
light. It is to the beginner that I address myself, re- 
membering, during my ototi novitiate, vnth lohat long- 
ing I sought, and how gratefully I icoidd have received, 
the information contained in this book. 

Henry P. Wells. 



FLY-RODS AND FLY-TACKLE. 



CHAPTER I. 



FISH-HOOKS, AND THE PRINCIPLES WHICH GOVERN THEIR 
EFFICIENCY. 

The hook is the foundation of the Angler's Art: it 
is the point of attack. Weakness or inefficiency here 
can be aided little by the art of him who handles it, and 
not at all by any excellence of tackle elsewhere. The 
most skilled can but strike at the proper moment, and 
with the proper degree of force. 

What senses a fish has, and to what degree they are 
developed, has been the subject of frequent discussion; 
and while there may be and still is some doubt among 
scientists as to what he does possess, there can be but 
one ojDinion among anglers : that he is, at least at times, 
altogether destitute of the sense of propriety. With- 
out consultation with the angler, and without the slight- 
est deference to his wishes, he rises to the fly or ignores 
it, as to him seems best ; and when he does come he 
comes in his own way, seizing the fly with resolution 
or diffidence, and in a manner over which the angler 
has no control. 

Any hook which will hang together will secure the fish 
at times, and so will a bean-pole and clothes-line; but 
this is the art of the hippopotamus, who flounders through 



10 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

jungle and morass by sheer brute force, rather than that 
of the civilized man, who sweeps the one from his path 
and bridges the other, 

A lady seeking to tickle the ear of a celebrated painter 
with that refinement of flattery only possible to women, 
asked how he mixed his colors to produce effects so 
lovely and so unusual. Like the trout, his sense of pro- 
priety was, at least temporarily, dormant. He refused 
absolutely to rise to that fly, notwithstanding the skill 
and delicacy of the cast. Gruffly he replied that he 
mixed them with his brains. 

So the angler should fish with his brains, promptly 
tracing an effect to its cause, taking to heart every hint 
so obtained, whether it tends to improvement of tackle, 
or its use. Otherwise he is nothing but a pot-fisherman, 
whose proper fishing-ground is the market, and whose 
only tackle should be hard cash. 

The Angler considers his pursuit as a fine art, of 
which merely to obtain fish is but small part — these 
he can get more cheaply and in greater abundance in 
the market. It is the Avay the thing is done — this and 
the open air, the odor of the woods and flowers, the 
laughter of the running water, the beauty and song of 
the birds, and that peace and content which open the 
heart of man to see and love the ever-changing beauties 
of nature — these give to that pastime a charm pos- 
sessed by no other. Though old age and infirmity come 
on, and the foot once familiar with wood and stream is 
now confined to the narrow limits of a chamber, when 
every other earthly pursuit has lost its zest, who ever 
heard even then that the enthusiasm of the angler had 
diminished, or that the dim eye failed to kindle at the 
recollection and tale of earlier triumphs with the rod. 



Fish-hooks. 11 

Angler! — the term is to me a title of nobility, an order 
of knighthood open to personal merit alone. Not to 
every one who casts the fly is it given to belong to this 
brotherhood. He who would claim admission must be 
gentle, kindly, courteous, temperate, unselfish ; a lover 
of nature, a pleasant companion, and a true friend — and 
let us be thankful there are many such. 

The relation of all this to fish-hooks is somewhat 
obscure, so perhaps it would be well to return to the 
point. 

Since the gratification of a capture is measured large- 
ly by the degree of skill required to make it, it is desir- 
able to eliminate as far as possible all chance from 
affecting the result ; so, if it may be, that when the fly 
is touched, no matter how lightly or from w^hat direc- 
tion, the hook will fasten if manipulated with skill. 

Ignorance of the mechanical principles which should 
be embodied in a fish-hook, and which govern its efii- 
ciency, is altogether too common. Many examine a fly, 
and if it please in color, size, and neatness, little thought 
is given to the form of the hook. 

The hooks ordinarily sold are none of them quite per- 
fect, while many are very faulty in this respect. To 
formulate, if it may be, some simple and readily applied 
rule, guided by which the angler can justly criticise any 
form of hook at a glance, is the purpose of the remainder 
of this chapter. 

If it is desired to drive a nail into a board to the 
greatest depth possible with a single blow of a hammer, 
everybody knows the blow should be delivered fair and 
straight upon its head, and by no means obliquely. And 
thus with a fish-hook. Though the power is first applied 
as a sudden pull, yet as it is transmitted through the 



13 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

curved form of the hook, eventually its direction is 
changed, and it becomes strictly a blow, which, to give 
the maximum of penetration, should be delivered in a 
direct line with the point. 

This result would be well accomplished by any form 
of hook, were it not that another principle intervenes ; 
for the moment the forward movement of the hook, 
due to the pull on the line, is arrested by an obstruc- 
tion at the point, the point tends to halt while the re- 
mainder of the hook still advances. Thus a cant is 
instantly given to the hook, the direction of the point 
is thrown out of line, and at an angle with the move- 
ment — the blow becomes oblique instead of direct — and 
the hook tends to rake its way out of the fish's mouth, 
rather than to imbed itself therein. (See Fig. 2.) 

Try the experiment yourself. 

Holding a hook in the position shown in Fig. 5 
(page 19), except that the shank should be horizontal, 
insert its point lightly in any soft substance which will, 
like the inside of the mouth of a fish, permit the hook 
freely to assume its own position — a piece of blotting- 
paper for example. Now pull on the gut attached to 
the hook, and at once it will assume the position claimed 
and indicated. This change of position is the founda- 
tion of the main principle hereafter announced. Other 
considerations there are which affect the construction 
of hooks, but they are of very secondary importance. 

Mr. H. Cholmondely Pennell, in his "Modern Practi- 
cal Angler " (London, 1870), has treated this subject with 
marked ability. We feel certain that such of our read- 
ers as have not seen his book, will not think it amiss 
if we quote him somewhat fully. In this feeling it is 
hoped he will join. 



Fish-hooks. 13 

He discusses the question as follows : 

"Extraordinary as it may seem in such a mechanical 
age as ours, we cannot go into a tackle shop, and buy 
a hook in which one or more glaring defects, or of 
offences against the first jDrinciples of mechanics, cannot 
be pointed out. The most common fault of all, perhaps, 
lies in the shape of the bend. I have shown, when allud- 
ing to this subject in the Book of the Pike, how great 
is the difference in the penetrating powers of different 
bends. Between the two extremes it amounts to no less 
than cent, per cent. ; and yet even the best of these fall 
below the point of efficiency which ought to be attain- 
able. Another obvious fault is overfineness in the wire, 
from which it results that when the point comes sharply 
in contact with a bone or other hard portion of a fish's 
mouth, or even on the sudden jerk occasioned by strik- 
ing softer material, it 'springs' — that is, yields by a wid- 
ening of the bend outward — and so fails to penetrate. 
On the form of the shank of the hook, again depends, 
to a considei-able extent in fiy- fishing, the proper and 
even swim of the lure ; and while the point and barb are 
the first portions of the hook to be brought into requisi- 
tion in practice, it would seem that they are the last on 
which any theoretical consideration has been bestowed. 

" The theory of hooks, as based simply on mechanical 
principles, should j^robably run somewhat as follows : 

" 1. What are the objects to be aimed at in a perfect 
hook?— 
"«. Penetration. 
" h. Holding power. 
"c. Strength. 
" d. Lightness and neatness. 

" 2. How are these to be attained and combined ? 



Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 



'■'■Penetration. — C ceteris ^^aribiis, the penetrating power 
of any hook will be greater in proportion, as the angle 
of impact — the angle, that is, at which the jioint of the 
hook strikes the fish's mouth — coincides with the direc- 
tion of the force applied {i.e., the pull of the line) ; or to 
illustrate this by a diagram : 






Fig. 1. 



Fig. 3. 



The dotted line a e represents the direction of the ap- 
plied force ; the penetration will be greater as the direc- 
tion of the line of the point c d is coincident w^ith that 
of a e. In Fig. 1 these two lines actually correspond, and 
if there were no other matters to be taken into consider- 
ation, this hook, so far as penetration depending on bend 
is concerned, would be mechanically i>erf ect. Fig. 2 rep- 
resents a hook in which the converse of the above prin- 
ciple is illustrated. 

"These principles hold good equally in the case of 
hooks the points of which are crooked or turned side- 
ways, as in the Kirbys and Snecks, the penetration dimin- 



Fish-hooks. 15 

ishing as the point is turned from the direction of the 
applied force, and accordingly that is the one particular 
in which the Limerick is superior to the other bends. 
The Sproat and Round bends have also a similar advan- 
tage. In all these hooks the angle of impact, such as it 
is, is direct. 

" The above arguments are based, it will be observed, 
on the assumption that in all other respects, except the 
bend, the hooks under comparison are equal. But in 
fact hooks are divided into two broad divisions, the one 
possessing and the other lacking an element which has 
an obvious bearing on the penetrative power. I refer 
to the shape of the shank, whether straight or 'hog- 
backed' (curved). The substitution of a necessarily 
more or less yielding and elastic curve for a perfectly 
straight and rigid shank, cannot but affect adversely the 
penetrating powers. As regards the penetration of the 
point itself, it is clear that, other circumstances being- 
equal, the smaller the hole to be made the less will be 
the force required to make it ; and also that a long, 
straightly tapered point, like that shown in Fig. 1, will 
penetrate more easily than a shorter and 'blunter,' 
or holloiced out, point of the form represented in Fig. 3. 
This latter principle is merely, in fact, a converse ap- 
plication of the mechanical truism, that what is gained 
in speed is lost in power. If two barbs are of the same 
maximum diameter, and one is twice as long as the 
other, the longer barb will, for practical purposes, pene- 
trate with half the pressure required by the shorter. 

" Again, with regard to the ' point side ' of the barb 
(c d in diagram), it is obvious that in order to insure a 
firm and deep penetration, this side must be of a proper 
length. The want of length in this part of the hook is 



16 Fly -rods and Fly-tachle. 

one of the faults of the ' Sproat bend,' which is exagger- 
ated for sake of ilhistration in Fig. 3, 

^^ Holding Poicer. — To ilhistrate this I shall take a 
case which is both the most common in practice, and will 
admit of a theoretical demonstration : that of the hook 
having penetrated quite through the li}) of the fish, so 
that the point protrudes. In this case it is evident that, 
when once hooked, the nearer the point approaches the 
shank of the hook, the less chance must the fish have of 
escaping. This will be seen by carrying the principle 
to the extreme limit — and assuming that the point was 
so bent in after hooking as actually to touch the shank; 
the fish's lip would then be enclosed in a complete tri- 
angle, from Avliich, of course, there could be no possible 
escape. 

" Strength. — It is obvious that those portions of the 
hook which are nearly or quite in the same line as the 
penetrating or holding force, have little or no strain to 
bear. This is the case with the shank and with the 
short or j^oint side of the hook shown in Fig. 1. The 
strain, therefore, is thrown on the top side, and more 
especially on the angle /, and it is precisely in this 
point that the common Sneck bends have hitherto failed 
in practice. So marked has been this failure, that I 
have known three salmon to be lost within an hour with 
Sneck hooks, all by breakages at the angle in question. 

^^ Lightness and Neatness. — The lightest form of hook, 
other points being equal, must evidently be that in which, 
while retaining the requisite thickness of metal at the 
portion subject to strain, the jjarts not so subject — that 
is, the shank and ' point side' — are tapered away towards 
the ends. Hooks so tapered are also neater when em- 
ployed for flies, and more convenient for general use. 



Flsh-hoohs. 17 

" The patterns of hook which at present most nearly 
fulfil the conditions indicated by a practical application 
of the foregoing theory are the Sneck and Sproat bend 
hooks; the former is, however, marred by two faults — the 
tui-ning to one side of the point, and the lack of strength 
above described; and the latter by the want of depth 
and power in the point side, the hollowed out or blunted 
shape of the barb, and the curved or ' hog-backed ' form 
of the shank. Appearance, or neatness, is of course a 
matter of taste, but whatever other claims the Sproat 
bend has upon our suffrages they can hardly, I think, be 
urged on the score of beauty. The Limerick hook also 
has the disadvantage, though in a less exaggerated form 
than the ' Sproat,' of being hog-backed, which, as I have 
shown, prevents the fly swimming straight and even, and 
gives it an inclination to turn in the water, like a min- 
iature spinning-bait. The Round and Kirby bends are 
very deficient in penetrating power, and disproportion- 
ately short in the shank as compared to their breadth of 
bend, either for appearance or use, more particularly in 
the matter of flies. 

"In the pattern of hook which is now being manu- 
factured by Messrs. Hutchinson, of Kendal, under my 
name, I have endeavored to hit the medium between 
theoretical and practical requirements, and to combine 
as nearly as possible the advantages of the various bends 
referred to, and especially of the Sproat and Sneck bends, 
while avoiding what I believe to be their faults. 

" Diagrams both of this hook and of the other hooks 
described are appended, and by applying to them the 
principles advocated, my readers will be able to form 
their own conclusions as to how far the pattern I rec- 
ommend fulfils the ideal sketched out." 
2 



18 



Fly-rods arid Fly-tachle. 



(Four illustrations of forms familiar to American an- 
glers have been added to those in Mr. Pennell's book. 




Sproat. 



O'Shaughnessy. Abeicleen. 
Fig. 4. 



Kiusey. 



The more acute the angle a [Fig. 4], the more certainly 
the hook will fasten according to Mr. Pennell's theory.) 
In the following illustration A represents a hook in 
the position it will assume in response to the pull of the 



Fish-hoohs. li) 

line, as shown by our former experiment ; B C will then 
represent the " draft-line." That side of the barb marked 
a I have termed the "inner" or "advancing side;" that 
marked d is intended when the " outer " or " following " 
side is mentioned. 

It is hoped that the form of this diagram and the no- 
menclature of its parts will be well fixed in the mind, 
since then what follows will be easily understood. 




Fig. 5. 



It will be noticed that Mr. Pennell has determined 
the penetrating angle from the o^lter line of the barb. 
I cannot but think this an oversight on his part, and one 
which affects his results. It is not the '■''following " (c?) 
but the "advancing'''' side (a) of such a cutting edge or 
penetrating point which determines its promptness to en- 
gage, as well as the direction which it will follow. 

I say such a penetrating point, for if the " following " 
side {d) of the point or edge is in actual contact with the 
surface to be penetrated (as shown in Mr. Pennell's first 
figure, page 14), it guides the edge in its own direction, 
since that is the line of least resistance. It is clear that 
this is not the case with a fish-hook, since there the " fol- 
lowing edge {d) is raised above, and is not in contact 
with the surface to be penetrated. 

But an illustration familiar to all will serve to make 
this clearer than pages of theory. 

Take the common carpenter's chisel, and ajDply it to a 



20 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

board, with the bevel down and in contact with the 
board. The bevel here guides the edge, and forces it to 
advance parallel with the surface upon which the bevel 
rests ; there is not the slightest tendency to bury. It 
would seem to follow from this that the hook shown 
in the first of Mr. Pennell's figures is by no means 
theoretically perfect as to penetration (or promptness 
" to bite," which is the idea I understand Mr. Pennell 
intends to convey), but on the contrary it is both theo- 
retically and practically imperfect in this respect. 

Now let us reverse the chisel and apply it to the board 
with the bevelled side uppermost, and at such an angle 
that the flat side (which will then become what we have 
termed the " following " side) does not touch the board. 
Here we have an exact reproduction of the penetrating 
point of a fish-hook, one governed by exactly the same 
laws. Attempt to cut with the chisel held in this posi- 
tion ! It buries at once in the board and comes to a halt. 
The " advancing " edge, the bevel, guides and forces it 
downward. 

In considering the penetration of a fish-hook, it must 
not be forgotten that the problem is not to pierce an 
obstacle squarely across the path of the hook ; but its 
point is to engage with an oblique surface, and when so 
engaged it should turn at once from its former path and 
bury downward. 

If the foregoing is true, then it again follows that the 
" outer line " of the barb should not point to the shank 
of the hook, since then the " following " side of the 
penetrating edge is in contact with the surface to be 
penetrated, and must guide the point in its own line ; 
and thus any tendency to deviate therefrom — in other 
words, to bui-y — is checked. 



Fish-hoohs. 21 

It is hoped it will now be conceded that the " inner,'''' 
and not the '" outer," profile of the barb determines the 
direction in which the hook will respond to a pnll npon 
the line. It also results from these considerations that 
the greater the angle which the "inner" profile of the 
barb makes with the "draft-line," the deeper the hook 
will bury, if it penetrates at all. 

If it penetrates at all, and here, practically, is the pith 
of the whole matter. For if the hook does not penetrate 
at all, the thought of what might have haj^pened had 
this been otherwise will afford but cold comfort to him 
who uses it. 

Now if we place any hook bought at random in the 
market, in the position shown in the following figure, it 
is at once apparent that the " advancing " side of the 
barb a makes a sufticient angle with the " draft-line," to 
insure that if the barb enters at all it must bury. So 
we may dismiss this requirement from our minds as 
being sufficiently satisfied in any hook which has a barb. 

We may then turn our undivided attention to the jirob- 
lem how to secure this all-important first engagement. 
This appears to admit of solution by an easy method, 
one having, it would seem, the merit that it permits of 
practical application at a glance, and under almost any 
circumstances. 

Let A (Fig. 6) be a hook placed in the position shown 
upon any flat surface, B C (the glass of the dealer's 




Fig. 6. 



22 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



show-case, for example). B C (the level of the glass) 
will then represent the " draft-line " of the hook; and 
as the line a of the inner side of the barb approaches 
this line, short of actual coincidence, so will the sureness 
of the hook increase, since then it will penetrate easily, 
yet bury sufficiently. 

The demonstration of this principle, and the statement 
of how it may be used to discriminate between hooks of 
all forms, may be made in one breath. Let Fig, 7 rep- 
resent the barbs of two hooks so placed; the line Ji C 
is the flat surface, and a a the line of the inner side 
of the barb, as before. Now let us construct the par- 
allelogram b c d e, oi which the line a of the inner side 
of the barb is the diagonal. 




This is the well-known "parallelogram of forces" of 
the books, and its well-settled principles teach us at a 
glance that the side 6 c of the parallelogram (or that 
parallel to the flat surface B G) represents correctly the 
penetrating power of the hook ; while the side c e (that 
perpendicular to the flat surface) will show the relative 
tendency of the hook to rake its way out of the fish's 
mouth. Of course the intending purchaser, when he 
places any hook upon the glass show-case of the dealer 
in the position shown, can at once construct this paral- 



Fish-hoohs. 23 

lelogram in his mind, and at once determine siiflEiciently 
for all practical purposes the relative length of the side 
parallel with the flat surface to that perpendicular to it. 
To sum up : any hook in which the side parallel to the 
flat surface is not longer than that perpendicular to it, 
is of vicious construction and should be rejected. 

It was my purpose to prepare a table from actual 
trial, giving the number of pounds and ounces which 
each variety of hook shown in Fig. 4 required to bury 
it to the barb by a direct pull on its shank. But delay 
in gathering together all the varieties, and of uniform 
size so as to admit of fair comparison, together with 
further reflection on the subject, have convinced me that 
such a table would not be worth the space it would oc- 
cupy. Each can determine the matter for himself, as 
far as it can be of any practical importance, by the ap- 
plication of the preceding simple rule. 

Any of the forms of hook shown will take fish at 
times, nor will the general average of the catch of one 
so greatly exceed that of the other — provided ahvays the 
fish are rising boldly. But if they are timid and take 
the fly gingerly, or if they are rising but seldom and 
the prospect of sport is poor, then, when the discour- 
aged angler is apt to allow his attention to be distracted 
from his flies and be backward in responding to an offer, 
heed of this point will make a marked difference in re- 
sult. And this brings me to the point which was the 
prime impelling cause of this inoi-dinately long preamble. 

It is not my purpose, and I beg in no part of this 
book to be understood to play the Sir Oracle — for 
that is at the same time to play the fool. I recognize 
the wide divergence of opinion as to many points en- 
tertained by my confessed superiors in the art of fly- 



24 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

fishing and its appliances. Somebody must be wrong, 
and it would be absurd for me to intimate or suppose 
that I alone was exempt from mistake. Therefore, when 
an opinion is stated its foundation is also given, trusting 
to that tribunal, the great fraternity of anglers — from 
whose judgment in these matters there is no appeal — 
to sustain me when in the right, and to consign me to 
merited oblivion when in the wrong. This course I 
have followed, and shall continue as far as permitted by 
the consideration that man is not immortal, and that the 
sole occupation of this life is not to read books on an- 
gling. 

But to come back to the point. 

I would warn my brother anglers, novice and expert 
alike, against those small hooks (so tempting when em- 
bodied in a small fly, because the hook is so well con- 
cealed) in Avhich the distance across the bend, from the 
barb to the shank, is but little exceeded by the length 
of the shank itself. 

Apply one of these hooks to a flat surface, as shown 
in Fig. 6, on page 21. At once it is apparent that the 
angle of penetration may be made to depend altogether 
on the length of the shank {h c in that figure); and that 
if the shank of the hook there shown terminated at/" (it 
would then show about the proportions of the hooks re- 
ferred to), the forward edge of the barb a would be near- 
ly perpendicular, and its tendency to penetrate, or in 
other words to take hold, very slight. If we add to this 
the fact that these hooks are made of very thin wire, and 
consequently must spring some, thus enlarging the dis- 
tance across the curve still more, we obtain a result even 
more vicious than that shown at the left hand of Fig. 7. 

No form of bend, be it never so excellent, can remedy 



Fish-hoohs. 25 

this fatal error of construction. Such hooks reverse the 
proprieties, for they are a delusion and a snare, not to 
the fish, but" to the fishernjan; and this assertion is made 
with the more emphasis since, at the first glance, they so 
seem to present the efficiency of a large hook with the 
unobtrusiveness of a smaller one, that they are calcu- 
lated to deceive even the elect. 

The writer in his own fishing has usually employed 
the Sproat-bend hook, and believes it, when made with 
suflicient barb, as it sometimes is, not only the best ob- 
tainable, but very nearly perfect. In slightliness to our 
eye it seems the most graceful of any form. The short- 
ness between the point of the hook a^nd the bottom of 
the bend, of . which Mr. Pennell complains, is not uni- 
versal in all makes of that form of hook. The " hog- 
back " form is justly open to criticism. Some of these 
hooks are made with a very small barb, on the theory 
that the wound made by the hook is smaller, and that 
therefore the probability of disengagement is lessened, 
while ease of penetration is increased. The latter is un- 
doubtedly true, but the former w^ould seem to be an 
error sufficiently grave to more than over-balance the 
conceded advantage. For the integument into which 
the hook is intended to be driven is not brittle like glass, 
but elastic like rubber ; and the barb of the hook does 
not cut its way before it as does a knife, but separates the 
tissue and distends the opening so made; and this closes 
again close around the hook the moment the passage of 
the barb will permit. Who ever saw a trout of any size 
taken from the water in Avhich the wound of the hook 
had not been enlarged by its struggles ? The impor- 
tance, then, of a fairly prominent barb is apparent, and 
its just proportions will be a compromise, determined by 



26 Fly-rods and Fly-tacJde. 

a due and combined consideration both of holding power 
and ease of penetration. 

By the preceding simple method the angler can de- 
termine the efficiency of any form of hook at once. One 
other word of caution and I have done. Beware of 
short angular bends in the curvature of a hook, particu- 
larly on the shank side, of which some of the " Sneck" 
bends will serve as an example. For a moment's consid- 
eration will show that such a hook must be far better in 
material and temper than a hook in which the curves 
are softened off, before it will bear an equal strain. 

That the side rake of the " Sneck " is an evil when 
used in fly-fishing, is not by any means beyond ques- 
tion. A fish-hook is a creature of compromise — an arti- 
cle formed by the union of several discordant elements, 
each opposed to the othei-. What concession each shall 
make is a matter for sound judgment. A hook theoreti- 
cally perfect in all respects cannot be, from the nature 
of the case. 

The side rake undoubtedly somewhat augments the 
power required to bury the hook over the barb, but I 
am by no means certain that this loss is not more than 
made good by an increased certainty in that most essen- 
tial quality of all — promptness of initial engagement in 
all positions. It will be generally conceded that the 
demonstration on the part of the angler which answers 
a rise, leaves a wide margin of power to meet this de- 
mand many times multiplied. 

Theoretically this shifting the barb end to one side 
should prevent the fly from swimming on an even keel, 
but I aj^prehend this evil may well be classed with the 
" hog-back " of the Sproat and O'Shaugnessy, as of the- 
oretical rather than practical importance. The form of 



Fish-hooks. 27 

barb given to this hook is generally superior to the 
Sproat, and if its point occupied the same relative po- 
sition in reference to the " draft-line," I should prefer 
it; but always, be it understood, with the angle which 
unites the bend to the shank somewhat softened off, as 
indeed it now is in some, but not all, makes of this 
hook. Omitting the " side rake " we should then have 
Mr. Pennell's form, which I regret is not to be had in 
this market. 

The O'Shaugnessy is also an excellent hook. While 
the general form of the barb is such as to afford easy 
penetration, its extreme point is given a slight bend out- 
ward to insure prompt initial engagement. Many ex- 
cellent American anglers consider this the best of all 
hooks. 

The Barbless speaks for itself. It is quite prompt to 
engage, requires less force than any other to imbed it, 
and, as to holding power, is so dead sure that to my 
mind it is almost unsportsmanlike to use it. 

Again, for the benefit of the novice we emphasize the 
caution that he cannot be too particular as to this part 
of his outfit. Remember it is always the best fish which 
are lost, and absolutely eschew cheap hooks. 

During August, 1884, and since the foregoing was 
written, a friend presented me with a couple of dozen 
" Pennell " hooks adapted to the large flies used on the 
trouting waters of North - western Maine. On these I 
tied a number of flies, and gave them during the ensu- 
ing six weeks, with others tied upon Sneck-bend hooks 
of like size, a careful trial in that region. 

The trout of that locality may, for our purpose, be 
divided into three classes — the small, inclucling those up 
to one and a half pounds; the medium, including those 



28 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

up to three pounds; and the large, embracing those above 
that weight. The small and the medium fish may read- 
ily be taken with two or more flies handled in the usu- 
al manner — that is, with the drop flies just skimming the 
surface of the water ; but the habitual caution of the 
large fish seems best to be overcome by quite a differ- 
ent method of temptation. A single large fly moving 
very slowly about six inches under water appears most 
to their taste. The larger the trout the more slowly 
he approaches and takes in the fly, but the more prompt- 
ly he realizes and rejects the deception if time is al- 
lowed him so to do. The eye alone directs when to 
strike. To strike, and at the proper moment, is neces- 
sary, while the duration of that moment might well 
serve as a type of brevity. Again the ofi^er comes 
when least expected, like a thief in the night. Then 
the utmost promptness of action is requisite, together 
with no little vigor, to transmit the impulse to the hook 
through the half-sunken line. The highest attainable 
excellence in every portion of his outfit, and unremit- 
ting vigilance on the part of the angler, alone will pre- 
vent the most bitter disappointment, as he gazes, with 
feelings beggaring description, on the subsiding swirl of 
the mighty fish, which, though he combats the feeling 
with all the excuses his ingenuity can devise, his inner 
consciousness tells him should have been his own. I 
speak from the heart, for " I have been there." 

Fly-fishing for large trout had been below par during 
the fall of 1883. On September 29th I was informed 
that some had been seen that morning rolling in the 
pool below the lumber-dam. A hasty dinner finished, 
and I was at the pool. Up rolled a trout two feet long 
before I could prepare to cast. To my brothers of the 



Fish-hoolcs. 29 

angle who have never seen a trout of over three pounds 
rise to the surface, I would say they have something 
yet to live for. I can liken it to nothing better than 
the swirl made by the propeller of a steamer when it 
first starts from inaction into motion. It is a sight to 
quicken the circulation of an iceberg. Till dark I cast, 
employing every resource of the art known to me. 
Every four or five minutes one would break the surface, 
and nearly give me a fit with the eagerness with which 
I would hasten to lay my fly in front of him, before he 
could vanish from my sight and its neighborhood. It 
was all in vain. Night fell, and no fish of over one and 
a half pounds had rewarded my efforts. So, disappointed 
and disgusted, but not discouraged, I vowed vengeance 
on the morrow, and betook myself to camp, studying the 
problem, and how its conditions could be varied that the 
next day might have a happier issue. I decided on a 
new combination of form and color in the fly, and no 
hook in my own stock being quite suitable, I begged 
one from a brother angler. I did not like its bend, but 
still there was a better chance with any hook, if they 
could be induced to take it, than with the best if it were 
ignored. 

Bright and early the next morning my guide and I 
landed from our boat upon the boom above the dam, and 
started to walk it on our way to the pool below. Snow 
covered the slippery logs, by no means improving the 
footing ; so, gingerly and with the utmost caution I es- 
sayed the perilous passage. I don't know how it hap- 
pened, one moment I was on the boom, the next I was 
up to ray ears in the icy flood, and scrambling for the 
bank without unnecessary delay. But I clung to my 
rod, and, with everything but my ardor chilled to the 



30 f Fly-Tods and Fly-tackle. 

bone, betook myself to the pool. There, standing beside 
the fire that the ready axe of my guide quickly made, 
I began the last day's fishing of the year. A bitter 
wind drew down the valley, and my hands, covered by 
a pair of fingerless gloves now sopping wet, ached in 
a manner that soon became intolerable. I had cast for 
about five minutes in vain when I essayed to remove 
them, my fly lying on the water and sinking below the 
surface. Something told me to strike, I know not what, 
for I saw nothing; but strike I did, M'ith a vigor accent- 
ed by my personal discomfort, and proportioned to the 
sunken line to be moved. Had I struck the dam itself 
the resistance could not have been more stubborn and 
unyielding. But, alas ! I held him but for the moment. 
I cast till noon, then to camp, changed to dry clothes, 
dined, and back, and hammered away at that pool till 
dark, and never got a rise from a fish of over two pounds. 

I believed then, and I still believe, that with a prop- 
erly constructed hook, barring accidents of a different 
kind, he would have been mine. But I knew the hook 
was one calculated to rake its way out of a fish's mouth 
rather than to bury and hold. I took the risk and I paid 
the penalty. Those who have been in a like position, 
and after a day and a half's unremitting and unrewarded 
labor, with a ducking in ice-water, ruin of fly-book, etc., 
thrown in, alone know with what feelings I returned to 
camp. It was the last day of that open season too. 

Within four weeks I have seen an angler of wide ex- 
perience, though new to large trout, white to the lips as 
he told how a few moments before he had lost a large 
fish after ten minutes' play — a trout, which his experi- 
enced guide assured me he had seen plainly, and to 
which he assigned a weight of not less than six pounds. 



Fish-hoohs. 31 

I see I have diverged from what I intended to say, 
and interpolated a narrative which may seem to some 
out of place. But if it will serve to imj^ress upon the 
beginner how greatly the pang which follows the loss of 
a large fish, exceeds the trouble and expense of provid- 
ing first-class tackle at the outset, its practical utility 
will, it is hoped, justify the digression. With every 
appliance of the best, such losses will still occasionally 
occur even to the most skilful, but this will then happen 
but seldom, nor is the disappointment imbittered by 
self-reproach. Good-luck comes to all at times, and he 
is the most successful, in angling as in life, who pre- 
pares beforehand to take full advantage of his opportu- 
nities. 

In the angling, of which it is hoped the foregoing will 
give some idea, the fish, whatever they may do after- 
wards, almost invariably take the fly in still, or almost 
still, water. They will not hook themselves. The fly is 
some distance under water, and the leader at least, if not 
the line, is partially submerged as well. If there is any 
wind, and the cast is not with it, some sag is thrown into 
the line from this cause, while the slowness with which 
the fly is moved renders the sense of touch unreliable to 
indicate when the angler should act. Add to all these 
the extreme brevity of the interval during which the fish 
may be fastened at all, and almost every advantage would 
seem to be against the hook. Certainly far more so than 
when a trout bounces out of water and dashes, like a 
tiger upon its prey, at a fly quickly impelled over the 
surface by a necessarily tight line. If, in addition to all 
these drawbacks, the angler is handicapped by defects 
in the construction of the hook itself, it seems to me that 
these defects should be more apparent than in perhaps 



32 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

any other form of fly-fishing, and that consequently the 
merits of a hook may therein receive a most crucial test. 
While, after careful consideration, I cannot say the 
Pennell hook failed less frequently than the Sproat of 
like size (which I had used for so many years, and in 
the superiority of Avhich I had so abiding a faith), still 
I must admit that whenever, during the latter part of my 
trip, I wished to tie a new fly, I invariably ignored the 
Sproat and Sneck hooks, and selected the Pennell. For 
nearly six weeks I rang the changes on these forms of 
hook in the endeavor to determine practically the rel- 
ative value of each; and as far as such a trial justifies 
an opinion, I believe the Pennell hook to be all its 
inventor claims for it. The Sneck bend did not an- 
swer my expectations. These Avere the first unlackered 
(blued) hooks I had ever used, and they will be the last. 
After a few days' use, they rusted so abominably as to 
ruin every fly tied upon them. Owing to this cause, 
perhaps that hook was not as fairly tested as it should 
have been, and further trial may yet show that its prac- 
tical is equal to its theoretical efliciency. 



How Fish-hooks are Made. 33 



CHAPTER IT. 

HOW FISH-HOOKS ARE MADE. 

The belief that an account of how fish-books are made 
will intei'est some of ray readers, has induced me after 
some hesitation to include the following description. 

Though special machines are now largely used, still 
the old band process is at the foundation of all. A 
statement of this, therefore, will be at once more profit- 
able and easily understood. 

Round steel wii"e in coil is mounted on a reel ; the 
outer end is thrust through a hole until it encounters a 
stop, and can go no farther ; then down comes a cutter, 
and cuts off a length. As long as the cutter and stop 
work at a fixed distance from each other, so long, of 
course, will the wire be cut in uniform lengths (see Fig. 
8). It will also be clear that by varying the position of 
the stop in reference to the cutter, the length of the pro- 
duced piece can be varied. 

During the time occupied in reading the preceding 
paragraph, you may imagine several lengths have been 
cut. 

Next in order comes the formation of the barb. A 
length of wire, cut as aforesaid, is laid upon a small 
block of iron provided with a stop, against which the 
end of the wire abuts. The workman is armed with a 
tool such as is shown in the illustration (Fig. 9), in which 
a rr^resents a wooden handle ; h an iron rod or shank ; 
3 



34 



Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 



and c the cutter. If about two inches were broken from 
the cutting end of an ordinary carpenter's chisel, and if 
the sides were then ground so that the broken end was 



I 




Fig. 8. 



Fig. 10. 



somewhat narrower than the cutting edge, the form of 
this barb-cutter would be produced. It will be remem- 
bered that the cutting edge of a carpenter's chisel is 
bevelled only on one side. Such is the case with the 
cutter under consideration, and its edge is applied with 
the bevel u2:)permost — i.e., away from the wire. The 
form of this cutter is shown in Fig. 10. The workman 
having laid a length of wire upon the iron bed with his 
left hand, and brought its end against the abutment, 
seizes the tool (Fig. 9) by its handle a in his right hand, 
hooks the other end d behind a pin conveniently placed 



How Fish-hooks are Made. 35 

for the purpose, which serves him as a fulcrum, applies 
the edge of the cutter to the wire at a marked distance 
from the abutment, and pushes the handle and cutter 
from him. The cutting edge, being formed with only 
one bevel and that uppermost, tends to bury in the Mare, 
while the shape of the bevel throws up the shaving 
and determines the " rankness " of the barb. Operation 
succeeds operation with surprising rapidity. The result 
is shown in Fig. 11. 

This is the method employed in making large hooks. 
In producing the barb of small ones such as we use, a 
knife resembling a common table-knife is employed, bev- 
elled and applied, however, in much the same manner. 

The wire is now annealed — that is, heated to low red- 
ness, and allowed to cool very slowly, thus rendering it 
quite soft. The annealed pieces are then laid one by 
one on a small anvil, and under a single blow of a ham- 
mer each rapidly assumes the form shown in Fig. 12. 
They are then one by one placed upon a cutting edge, 
and a blow from a drop-hammer raised by foot-power 
produces the result shown in Fig. 13 — a representing a 
cut either quite or almost through the metal, detaching 
the piece h. Then two or three strokes of a hand-file 
complete the point, as shown in Fig. 14. The hook is 
now to receive the bend. In Fig. 15 ^ represents a 
block of hard wood ; B a rib of metal projecting above 
the surface of the wood ; C is a pin projecting in a like 
manner ; D is the wire about to be bent into a hook. 
When the wire is applied as shown at D in Fig. 15, it 
is bent around the former {B) by a single sweep of the 
hand, and the hook is complete in form. It will be ob- 
served that the contour of the former {B) determines 
the shape of the hook. 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 




Fig. 15. 



Now the hook, which to this point is as soft as it can 
well be made, must be hardened. Heavy sheet -iron 
dishes are filled with soft hooks, thrust into an oven, and 
brought to a cherry-red heat ; and when the contents 
are at that temperature, they are " dumped " into a large 
vessel of oil. The hooks, when withdrawn from the oil, 
are as hard and brittle as glass, and they must, before 
they will be fit for use, be drawn to a spring temper. 
An iron frying-pan is partially filled with sand, placed 
over a hole in an oven, the sand heated to a proper tem- 
perature, the hooks introduced and stirred round in it, 
until the requisite temper is reached. The hooks are 
then removed and cooled off, and this step is complete. 
Thus it will be seen how intimate is the connection be- 
tween the frying-pan and the hook, throughout its career. 



How Fish-hooks are Made. 37 

These last two steps are the crises in the life of the 
hook which determine its future. For if in the hardening 
process any are heated to excess, the steel is " burned " 
as it is termed, and such will always remain brittle and 
worthless ; while if any are insufficiently heated, they 
will not harden, but continue soft and equally useless. 
To heat this irregular and tangled mass of hooks uni- 
formly through to its centre, from heat applied to the 
outside, requires no little skill. And in the tempering 
process the same difficulty is encountered, for if it is 
arrested too soon, the hooks remain still brittle ; if it is 
carried too far, their elasticity is gone, and they will 
straighten under the struggles of the fish to escape. 

The tempered hooks are then rolled in a revolving 
barrel, "tumbled" as it is termed, to remove, by the at- 
trition of one against the other, the surface scale formed 
during the hardening process, and they are then ready 
to lacker. 

This is accomplished by seizing the hooks by the bend, 
dipping the shank about half its length in the lacker, 
withdrawing them and throwing them into a large bowl. 
With two forks, one held in each hand, the contents of 
the bowl is well stiri-ed together, until at length the im- 
mersed parts have pai'ted with a portion of their lacker 
to the uncovei-ed parts, and the whole of each hook is 
covered with a uniform coating. The workman then 
wets his fingers Avith the lacker, removes the hooks one 
by one, hangs them by the bend on iron racks, and places 
them in an oven to dry. Such is the process of making 
fish-hooks, in its simplest and usual form. Is it not won- 
derful they can be sold so cheaply ? 

One step remains, or should remain, to be taken ; and 
it is the only part of this long description that will, aside 



38 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

from the gratification of a very laudable curiosity, be of 
any advantage to you who have so patiently followed it 
to its end. But if you tie your own flies, or even if you 
do not, this will requite you for your labor and patience. 
I allude to a test to be applied to each hook, so that the 
bad may be infallibly separated from the good. 

Two pins, a a, are inserted in a block, J3 (see Fig. 16). 
The hook is placed between them as shown, and the 
shank end bent outward with the 
hand (see dotted line) until it 
strikes a pin, b, placed near the 
position shown. If the hook breaks, 
of course that ends it. If it fails to 
return to its original form when re- 
leased, it is too soft to be reliable, 
and should at once be rejected. 

Were it not for the iron bands of 
literary custom, I would print at the 
head of each page of this book, in- 
stead of its title, the words — eemem- 

Fig. 10. BER TO TEST YOUR TACKLE. .They 

embody the angler's Golden Rule. 
A few years since I went fishing down in Pennsylva- 
nia, a hundred miles by rail and some twenty odd by 
stage. The trout of that State have quite kept up with 
the progress of the age, and the angler who expects 
much pleasure at their expense, will need to employ all 
the resources of his art. A box of beautiful little hooks 
was purchased for the occasion, and a quantity of beguil- 
ing flies tied thereon. What was the matter I could not 
tell. Rise after rise was followed by miss after miss at 
the strike, till a bump of conceit, Avhich at first was quite 
protuberant, gradually fell to the dead level of medioc- 




How Fish-hooks are 

rity, till at last its former locality was marked by a de- 
pression you could put your fist into. Nothing but fin- 
gerlings (to basket which, under any circumstances, is of 
course against the first canon of your and my angling 
belief) had rewarded my eiforts, so I sat me down to 
seek consolation in a quiet pipe, and study the situation. 
Those hooks were like lead in softness. 

I learned my lesson then. Learn yours now ! You 
will find it far cheaper and more satisfactory. For 
whether is it better to prove each part of your outfit at 
home, when the loss of a worthless article readily re- 
placed is the worst that can result ; or to involve the 
good in a common fate with the bad, and lose all, your 
temper included, in a common ruin. 

It is a good rule to try no experiments in the crisis of 
battle. 



40 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



CHAPTER III. 



Formerly lines for fly-fishing Avere made of hair, and 
were twisted. These were superseded by a mixture of 
hair and silk, the latter added to increase the strength, 
and tone down the excessive roughness which charac- 
terized the line made of hair alone. Again the twisted 
line was found liable to kink, and braiding the strands 
was substituted for twisting, to overcome this. But at 
the present day the only line used in this country for 
this purpose, is one braided from silk alone. 

Both " raw " and " boiled " silk are used, the raw silk 
being the silk as spun by the worm, and with the gum, 
exuded in that process to unite the filaments into the 
form of a cocoon, still adhering to it; and boiled silk 
being, as its name implies, the former boiled to dissolve 
and eliminate this gum. 

The Italian silk, from which the best lines are made, 
when raw, comes in hanks resembling in form and size 
the common woollen yarn of country stores. It is of a 
most beautiful golden color, resembling in the sunlight 
the hair of the giddiest of blondes. It feels somewhat 
harsh to the touch — very much like linen thread — and 
lines made from it partake of this characteristic. That 
generally known as " grass line " is a fair sample, it 
being wholly of Chinese raw silk, no grass whatever en- 
tering into its composition. 



Lines. 41 

When boiled the raw silk parts with its gum, losing 
about thirty per cent, in weight, and deepening in color. 
The surface is no longer harsh, but of a smooth and slip- 
pery character, and the silk becomes very flexible. 

Raw Italian silk is worth about five dollars a pound, 
while boiled brings in the neighborhood of seven dol- 
lars. 

Since the gum is removed by the boiling process, thus 
reducing the size of the fibre without impairing its 
tenacity, it follows that more material is required for 
the same diameter, and that the boiled-silk line possesses 
a far greater degree of strength than a like size line of 
raw silk. Silk lines are also made from what might be 
termed "shoddy," a material formed by reducing old 
scraps of silk — cast-off silk dresses, stockings, umbrella 
covers, and such trash — to a fluff by machines constructed 
for that purpose, and spinning the thread composing the 
line from that. As the length of the fibre in the latter 
does not exceed a fraction of one inch at the outside, 
while in the silk direct from the cocoon it may be hun- 
dreds of yards, the relative value of the two products 
may be readily gauged, without entering into the ques- 
tion of how much the material composing the " shoddy " 
has suffered before entering the machine. 

Again, lines are sometimes made of mixed silk and 
jute, in which case the latter is a pure adulteration, since 
it adds practically nothing to the strength. Such lines, 
however, as are sold by reputable dealers, are made from 
the best Italian silk. The thread is spun direct from 
the cocoon. Three threads are then loosely twisted to- 
gether, and thus each strand of the braided line is formed. 
These lines, for their diameter, are of surprising strength, 
and they alone are suited to our purpose. But in their 



43 Fly^ods and Fly-tackle. 

natural condition unnecessary disadvantages attend their 
use. Though superior to the ordinary linen line in this 
respect, still if it is desired that they should retain their 
strength, they must be taken from the reel and carefully 
dried after use. 

Aside from this, the inferior strength of the raw-silk 
line, and the greater friction caused by its rougher sur- 
face in its passage through the rings, would give the 
preference to that of boiled silk. But that also has seri- 
ous disadvantages. One trial, particularly if the experi- 
menter be wading, will graduate him as far as this is 
concerned. They are so very soft and pliable, that on the 
slightest provocation they take a turn around the outer 
end of the tip ; the line is then locked for the time be- 
ing, and will render neither way. After having waded 
to the shore four or five times to find a support for the 
butt, so that tlie end of the tip and the entanglement 
may be reached, an effort will probably be made to vary 
the monotony of this proceeding, by placing the butt 
on some neighboring stone protruding above the Avater. 
And if this is followed, as it is apt to be, by the butt 
and reel slipping off into the water at the very crisis of 
the disentanglement, to the great peril if not disaster to 
your tip, you will then have opportunity to exercise a 
wise discrimination as to which of the two annoyances 
you will elect to suffer in the future. If to this is added 
the probability that you first discover the mischance 
after a cautious approach to some extra j^romising pool, 
and when you wish to lengthen your line, so as to lay 
your flies just where you feel sure the aldermen of the 
brook are assembled together ; or worse still, after you 
have fastened to one of those aldermen, or possibly the 
chairman of the board, and find that you can neither 



Lines. 



43 



give nor take line, you will tlien agree with me that 
such a line is more demoralizing to the angler than the 
fish. 

The choice then lies between two varieties of water- 
proofed line : one being that made from raw silk and 
treated wath linseed oil, and known as an " oiled " line ; 
the other that from boiled silk, and waterproofed by a 
secret process, and known as " enamelled waterproofed 
line." The best quality of the former may be had at an 
expense of from three and a half to four cents a yard ; 
but while the cheaper of the two, its lesser strength, its 
rough surface, and its inferior durability, make it in 
effect the dearer. 

If Phariseeism be ever pardonable, it is when a good 
enamelled waterproofed line of American manufacture 
is compared with the best produced in any other coun- 
try. If not decrepit through old age — and their longev- 
ity is far in excess of any other line — in strength they 
leave nothing to be desired. Smooth as ivory on the 
surface, they render through the rings with the minimum 
of friction. Their weight is sx;fficient to cast nicely 
without being excessive, and at the same time this is 
always uniform ; while their flexibility is just as it 
should be, neither so great as to foul the tip, nor so stiff 
as to cause inconvenience. In short, they are as neai'ly 
perfect as the work of man's hands is permitted to be. 

The secret of their preparation is most carefully 
guarded, and they are in constantly increasing demand 
abroad, where their imitation has been in vain attempted. 
Nothing in reference to fly-fishing can be answered with 
such ease and confidence, as the question what line 
should be used. Unquestionably the enamelled water- 
proofed line, and no other. 



44 



Fly-rods and FUj-tackle. 



The following illustration shows the most available 
of the various sizes manufactured, and the numbers or 
letters by which they are known to the trade. 




Fig. IT. 

Aside from the difference in diameter, two styles of 
these lines are to be had : " tapered," in which the last 
twenty feet or less is gradually diminished in thick- 
ness by dropping out a strand at proper intervals ; and 
"level," in which that dimension is uniform throughout. 

Which shall I use—" tapered " or " level ?" The answer 
to this is not so simple as it might look. The tapered 
line casts rather a lighter and neater fly, but is open to 
the objections that not infrequently the tapered part 
soon loses its strength. The first cost is also greater. 



Lines. 45 

The " tapered " line, E and F sizes, costs eight cents a 
yard, while the " level " line, size E, costs seven and a 
half ; F and G six cents a yard. It seems to me, after 
some little experience with both, that the latter casts so 
nearly as well that, after taking into account its greater 
longevity, it is to be jDreferred. After some years, dur- 
ing which nothing but a tapered line was in my judg- 
ment appropriate to one at all nice in his fishing, circum- 
stances hereafter related forced me to resort to a level 
line. My opinion and practice then changed — a change 
I have since seen little reason to regret ; and judging 
from the remai'ks of other anglers in frequent discussion 
of the subject, it would seem that the tapered line does 
not now enjoy the favor of a few years since. 

Again, no person of experience casts a longer line 
than the necessities of the case require. The eighty 
feet casts of the tournament have little or no place in 
practical fishing ; and Avhen casting, the line is kept 
out of the water as much as possible, so that only a few 
feet of its outer end is constantly wetted. As these 
lines are practically never taken from the reel to dry, 
after a greater or less lapse of time the strength of that 
portion becomes impaired. The expert angler never 
thinks of inaugurating a new season without carefully 
testing the strength of this part of his last year's line, 
breaking it off at the slightest suspicion of weakness, a 
foot or two at a time, until sound material is reached. 
Now in the tapered not only does this decay, because of 
the smaller diameter, reach the danger point much 
sooner than in the level line, but it extends farther up 
the line ; and if any part must be sacrificed, it is the 
tapered portion which must go. The result is that the 
tapered line, after a couple of seasons, becomes a " level " 



46 Fly-rods and Fly-tacUe. 

line, and of a thickness greater than the angler would 
prefer. Therefore it seems advisable, if economy be 
any object, to buy a level line of the very best quality, 
and at least forty yards — better fifty — of it. Such a 
line will last for years. About twenty-five yards is the 
minimum length that a trout fly-line should be, so this 
gives a good reserve to meet either accident or decay; 
and it will be long before you are encumbered with that 
mass of trash which is the angler's bane — flies, leaders, 
and lines, which you dare not use, are ashamed to give 
away, but still seem too good to throw in the fire Avhere 
they properly belong. 

There is great temptation to economy in the purchase 
of lines. Plenty that look equally well can be had at 
half price. But you know the consequences of yielding 
to temptation, and believe me, this will not prove the 
exception which makes the rule. A little cold common- 
sense will teach that in this benighted age and country, 
no man sells an article in the regular way of trade for 
two or three cents a yard, the market value of which is 
seven or eight. The swindler who plies the pocket-book 
drop game, when viewed in one light, may be regarded 
as a missionary, teaching his fellow-man his folly that 
he may turn from it. Take the lesson to heart, though 
you shun the teacher. 

Remember the integrity of your tackle should always 
be absolutely above suspicion. Buy your line of a house 
with a reputation to maintain, and ask for the best and 
pay the price, and you will get it. Be sure if a seeming 
bargain is offered you in fishing-tackle, you will eventu- 
ally find it dear at any price. For trout-fishing F is the 
best size if the line is "level," but E if "tapered." 

For actual fly-fishing these seem to me the sizes best 



Lines. 47 

adapted to the average American fly-rod of to-day ; still 
there is at present unquestionably a tendency among 
experts towards heavier grades. The enormous distances 
covered at the recent casting toiirnaments naturally ex- 
cite the emulation of those who witness or read of them, 
and they as naturally turn to that style of line which is 
best for that pm-pose. It is undoubtedly an accomplish- 
ment to be able repeatedly to cast to the distance of 
eighty feet, and retrieve the line without fastening a fly 
in your ear ; since he who can do this can cover the ex- 
treme limit of practical fly-fishing with the utmost ease, 
and can therefore devote all his attention to delicacy 
and accuracy. But whether the use on a single-handed 
fly-rod — unless it be very short and stiff — of lines so 
heavy as C or even D is really an advance in the art, 
seems to me very questionable. Does it not entail a 
sacrifice on the part of all, except perhaps the most skil- 
ful, of those important requisites, delicacy and accuracy 
(construing the latter term to include not only reaching 
the desired point, but doing so with a perfectly straight 
line); and this to attain a command of distance seldom 
or never of use except for show ? 

I tried a D tapered line this year for some weeks of 
constant daily fishing, expressly to satisfy myself in this 
respect. The conclusions formed for my own guidance 
were as follows : On a flexible rod the D line seemed at 
all times a positive disadvantage. Upon a ten-foot stiff 
split -bamboo, against the wind, it worked well, since hav- 
ing more momentum it naturally held its way better. 
In casting over about forty -five feet it really worked 
like a charm, the line seeming to go backward and for- 
ward, as if it were alive and acting of its own volition, 
rather than from the apparently insignificant impulse 



48 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

given to the rod. This began to be felt at the distance 
named, and increased rapidly as more line was used. In- 
deed so pleasurable was it that I was forced continually 
to check myself, lest I should fall into the altogether 
too common error of ignoring good water close at hand, 
to cast in less promising places at a greater distance. 
But — ever that dreadful hat — decided and increasing 
disadvantages became apparent as the length of the cast 
was reduced below that distance. I like to see the fly 
shoot out straight, jJause a short distance above the sur- 
face of the water, and then fall upon it by its own grav- 
ity alone. The momentum of the heavy line was such 
that it required the very nicest adjustment of the im- 
pulse to the distance to be covered, lest the line reach 
its full length before its inertia was overcome, and thus, 
suddenly checked, recoil and fall sinuously uj^on the 
water; and this difficulty rapidly increased as the line 
was shortened. Now I am inclined to believe that five 
and a half times the length of the rod approximates 
pretty closely to the limit of efficient casting in actual 
fly-fishing, while we all know that over nine-tenths of 
all the fish are taken within say forty feet of the angler. 
Therefore, if it be wise to adapt your tools to your ev- 
ery-day work, rather than to that, which you will do 
only on your birthday, it would seem that the beginner 
would do well to use no line heavier than a " level E," 
and not that unless his rod be quite stiff. 

For the benefit of those who like to make their own 
tackle, and are ambitious to waterproof a line, the fol- 
lowing recipes are given: 

First buy a boiled-silk braided line of the proper diam- 
eter, and of the very best quality if you would not have 
it rot in the process. 



Lines. 



TO OIL-DEESS LINES. 

Heat two ounces of linseed -oil until it will singe a 
feather dipped in it. Melt in and mix thoroughly with 
it a piece of camphor the size of a hazel-nut. Stir in an 
equal proportion of good oil -copal varnish. Soak the 
line in the mixture while the latter is warm, until thor- 
oughly saturated. Then draw the line through the fold 
of a doubled leather, held in the hand and firmly com- 
pressed uj^on it, to squeeze out all the dressing you can. 
Stretch in a garret, or similar j^lace, to dry. This will 
take some days according to weather. When dry, warm 
your mixture and soak again. Squeeze as before. When 
this is dry, rub on the third coat with a rag, and wipe 
the line well afterwards. When this coat is thoroughly 
dry, rub well with a parafiine candle from one end to 
the other, then polish by rubbing briskly with a woollen 
rag. It will take at least a month to so prepare a line, 
for no second coat must be applied until its predecessor 
is thoroughly dry. 

Norris recommends, quoting from Chitty: 
" To a quarter of a pint of double-boiled, cold-drawn 
linseed -oil add one ounce of gold-size. Gently warm 
and mix them well, being first careful to have the line 
quite dry. When this mixture is warm, soak it therein 
until it is saturated to its very centre — say for twenty- 
four hours. Then pass it through a piece of flannel, 
pressing it sufiliciently to take off the superficial coat, 
which enables that which is in the interior to dry well, 
and in time to get stiff. The line must then be hung up 
in the air, wind, or sun, out of the reach of moisture for 
about a fortnight, till pretty well dry. It must then be 
redipped to give an outer coat, for which less soaking is 
4 



50 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

necessary. After this, wipe it again but lightly ; wind it 
on a chair-back or towel-horse before a hot fire; let it 
remain for two or three hours, which will cause the mixt- 
ure on it 'to flow' (as japanners term it), and give an 
even gloss to the whole. It must then be left to dry as 
before: the length of time, as it depends on the weather 
and place, observation must determine upon." 

Personally, the writer has succeeded fairly well with 
two-thirds boiled linseed-oil and one-third best coach- 
body varnish mixed together, and warmed till it will 
singe a feather. To four ounces measure of this mixt- 
ure about half a teaspoonful of siccative coutrai (to be 
had at any dealer in artists' materials) may be added, 
to hasten the drying if you are of an impatient disposi- 
tion. Otherwise, leave it out, since all dryers impair 
the result. Soak twice and rub once, having the mixt- 
ure then warmed to a temperature not exceeding 100° 
Fahr. Finish and polish with j^araffine candle as be- 
fore. 

Boiled-silk braided line only is adapted to these proc- 
esses. Remember the mixture must in none of them be 
so warm, when applied to the line, as to be uncomfortable 
to the touch, otherwise jowy line will be " rotten " and 
your experiment a failure. The only object in heating 
the mixture is that it is thus rendered more fluid, and in 
this condition is more readily absorbed by the line; but 
it is an essential step, since otherwise the preparation 
may not permeate throughout the line, and if it fails to 
do this at the first soaking, it never will afterwards. 
On the second application the warmth softens to some 
extent the preceding dose, and the two amalgamate bet- 
ter, so to speak. Wind is the potent element in drying 
mixtures of this kind. Therefore, if possible, expose 



Lines. 51 

your line to its influence, since it will then dry more in 
one day than in three if kept in-doors. 

But the preparation of a line by any of these proc- 
esses, is a nasty, tedious, and ill-smelling job. It is far 
better to pay seven or eight cents a yard for a good en- 
amelled waterproofed line to some good house. You 
may feel pretty confident you will wish you had done 
so before you get through preparing one yourself. 

Select a line not too long in stock. Before buying, 
try the strength of the exposed end of the line, and if it 
breaks easily have nothing to do with it. Ask the deal- 
er's consent to this, which, if he refuses, try elsewhere. 
For the best makers or their employes sometimes make 
mistakes, and rot the line in the process of preparation. 
This will at once be detected on proving it in this way. 
This precaution should never be neglected, lest you 
" sound the depths of dark despair," as. did the writer, 
who, on one occasion, was caught as follows in the wilds 
of Maine, with a brand-new tapered forty-yard line then 
used for the first time, and bought from a most rejjuta- 
ble dealer. For months the trip had been anticipated 
and prepared for. You know, or if not, may you soon 
know, the April fever of the trout fisherman — that rest- 
less longing for the green woods and silvery stream 
which precedes the opening season — when no matter 
how happily he may be circumstanced, something essen- 
tial seems wanting. If it has a parallel, it is only in the 
sensations of the confirmed smoker, who, in a moment 
of weakness and repletion, has " sworn off." 

The legion, who, without other cause, have committed 
this folly, and who remember with what longing they 
looked towards the appointed time, and the halting march 
of the carefully counted days, unrelieved by the assur- 



53 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

ance of the considerate friend "that the watched pot 
never boils " — those who remember this, and how " free- 
dom shrieked " when once again the way to the tobac- 
conist was open — such only, outside the brotherhood of 
anglers, can appreciate the thrill with which my maiden 
cast was at last delivered. 

Two fine trout rose at once to the flies, leaping clear 
of the water in their eager rivalry, their red and golden 
sides flashing like jewels in the morning sun. A quick 
strike, and — the line comes back, but where are the flies 
and the trout ? 

He who sits down on an imaginary chair ; he who 
would raise his hat to salute his would-be sweetheart, 
and is forced instead to follow its gyrations through the 
mud and filth of a city street; he who eagerly reaches 
before him in the darkness for an open door, and finds 
it with his nose — these have experienced the pangs of 
blasted hope, and can sympathize. Paralysis followed 
the blow ; and when at length the world rolled on once 
more in its appointed orbit, I began the old familiar 
process of endeavoring to convince myself that the re- 
sult of my own stupidity was an arrow of fate. The 
fault of the leader it could not be, for it had been tested 
not an hour previously. The shortening line comes 
slowly in, watched with anxious eyes. But where is 
the leader — alas ! careering round in the depths of the 
Moose Brook, a bond of union between two most un- 
happy trout. 

Then, I fear, not all the Commandments were remem- 
bered. 

The angler who, under such misfortune, can preserve 
his equanimity, must possess a degree of philosophy in- 
deed phenomenal. My philosophy is quite dilute, so I 



Lines. 53 

went for John. John — good, kind, honest John — patient, 
conscientious, of untiring energy ; courteous and consid- 
erate alike in sunshine and storm, in time of plenty or 
famine ; the prince of guides, whose skill at the trap, the 
paddle, the rifle, and the rod are unequalled; who forgets 
more overnight of the ways of the wilderness than I shall 
ever know. A most aggi-avating fellow is that John. 
We have been together for years, and many are the dif- 
ferences of opinion which have arisen. The worst of 
him is that he is invariably in the right, and that I am 
always forced in consequence to eat " humble pie." 

" John, you must have let that knot u^^set when you 
bent that leader to the line. You see it's entirely gone." 

"I think not, sir," came the quiet answer. 

''Well, how else could such a disgusting thing happen ? 
You know the leader was tested not an hour ago. It was 
wet then, and was fastened to the line immediately after- 
wards, so the loop could not have been cracked or weak, 
and the break must have been there." 

"Perhaps something may be wrong about the line." 

"Nonsense; the line is brand-new — never through the 
rings before. Take off that other leader from your hat 
and put it on the line ; give me a Montreal stretcher 
and a brown hackle for a dropper. There — let me look 
at that knot. Yes, that's all right; I don't believe they 
will get away with that in a hurry. Perhaps we may 
sicken some of them yet." For your true fisherman al- 
ways regards the fish who carries away his tackle as the 
Englishman looks on the restlessness of his uncivilized 
subjects — as a monstrous ingratitude, to be atoned for 
by the offender if catchable ; if not, by his kindred. 

Human nature is not altogether confined to the British 
Isles ; a small surplus still remains for the use of the 



54 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

American angling fraternity. We generally see things 
thi'ougli our own eyes, even though we do wear specta- 
cles. 

Cast follows cast — a rise — a strike — and back comes 
the line once more, but no leader follows it. 

When feeling is too deep for utterance, one is general- 
ly silent. The line is reeled in and examined. The knot 
was certainly all right ; the fault could not be in the 
leader. The line alone remains ; and though it is folly 
to try it since it is perfectly new, still to silence John 
once for all, let us test it. Throughout its whole length 
of forty yards, not a place could be found that could not 
be broken between the thumbs and fingers. Though 
the sky was cloudless, the sun shone no more for me 
that day. The wise profit by the misfortunes of their 
fellows. 



Leaders. 



55 



CHAPTER IV. 



This essential to the angler's outfit is composed of the 
silk fluid secreted by the Chinese variety of the silk-worm. 
When the worms cease feeding, and a filament of silk is 
observed hanging from the mouth, they are then about 
to begin to spin their cocoons, within which to await 
and undergo their transformation into the perfect insect. 
On observing this indication, such worms as are to be 
devoted to this purpose are immersed in vinegar for 
some hours. When sufiiciently pickled they are re- 
moved, seized by the head and tail, and forcibly torn 




i'ig. IS.— Anatomy of the Silk-worm : .1 A, the Silk Sacks, B B, the Intestines. 
(From the " Eucyclopsedia Britaiinica.") 



apart. Within are found the intestines, which then re- 
semble boiled spinach, and two silk sacks. The latter 
are nearly or quite twice the length of the Av^orra, and 
lie doubled together within it. The diameter of the 



56 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

middle of these may be about one-sixteenth of an inch, 
thence gradually tapering to a point at both ends. The 
preserved specimens, the only ones I have seen, were 
translucent, and yellowish in color. 

Seizing this silk sack by the ends, the operator tears 
it apart, stretching the contents out to the desired length. 
These harden almost at once on exposure to the air, and 
the gut thus produced is stretched upon a piece of board 
to dry. 

This manufacture is carried on mainly in Spain, by 
the. peasantry at their own homes, one producing per- 
haps half a pound, another possibly fifty, according to 
the extent of the mulberry orchard the maker may pos- 
sess. With the remains of the envelope still adhering to 
the dried gut, it is brought in, and sold to the factors. 

Their first step is to free the gut from such portions 
of the ruptured envelope as may adhere to it. Former- 
ly this was done by drawing the gut between the teeth, 
and thus stripping off this refuse, but chemical processes 
are said now largely to have superseded this. The eye- 
witness, to whom I am indebted for this information, de- 
scribes the old method as a most disgusting spectacle. 
The rows of women and girls drawing the entrails of 
this caterpillar through their teeth, their mouths smeared 
with blood from the cuts inflicted by the thin gut, min- 
gled with the offal scraped from it by their teeth — spit- 
ting and drawing, and sjjitting again — must indeed be 
far from a pleasant sight. 

I would much rather go a-fishing. 

The gut is then sorted, bundled, and marketed. We 
derive our supply largely through England, whence this 
business is controlled, consuming by far the greater part 
of the heavier sizes produced. 



Leaders. 57 

But it would seem there are silk-worms native to this 
country, from which gut far superior in every way to 
that of the Chinese worm not only can be, but actually 
has been, made. 

At least three of these greatly exceed the Chinese 
worm in size, and in the quantity of silk they secrete. 
That they have not attracted the attention of silk manu- 
facturers to a greater extent, is probably due to the dif- 
ficulty experienced in reeling the silk from the cocoons, 
an objection which, however serious it may be to him 
who would substitute these to feed machinery adapted 
to work the cocoons of the Chinese worm, is of no 
weight to one who seeks to utilize the silk sacks of the 
insect prior to its spinning — as would be done in gut- 
manufacture. 

For many reasons, that worm known to the entomol- 
ogist as the Attacus cecropia is most worthy of our at- 
tention. It produces the largest quantity of silk of any, 
and that of great strength. Its habitat is co-extensive 
with the United States. It is indifferent to the vicissi- 
tudes of our climate, and will flourish anywhere in the 
open air. It is an omnivorous feeder — " as easy to raise 
to maturity as young ducks or chickens " — and finally 
from it gut has been drawn " eight and nine feet long, 
and strong enough to hold a salmon " — " quite round, and 
all an angler could desire." 

I am largely indebted for my information in regard 
to this worm to Dr. Theodatus Garlick, of Bedford, Ohio, 
justly celebrated as the father offish-culture in this coun- 
try, and to Dr. E. Sterling, of the city of Cleveland in 
the same State. 

The former gentleman, from a bed of sickness and 
pain, in his eightieth year, responded with alacrity to 



58 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

my inquiries as to his experience in producing gut from 
this worm — at the expense of how much suffering he 
only knows. It is but another example of his well- 
known public spirit, and a further illustration, if any 
were needed, that the love which an angler beai's towards 
his favorite pursuit fails only with life itself. We try 
in vain to convey to the uninitiated a conception of its 
charm to us ; but can the most sceptical refuse to con- 
cede that there must be something in a matter that can 
excite and maintain such unimpaired enthusiasm, even 
when face to face with the Great Unknown ? 
Dr. Garlick writes as follows: 

" Bedford, Ohio, July 17, 1884. 
" Hetiry P. Wells, Esq. : 

" Dear Sib, — Your letter finds me very sick, and I at- 
tempt a reply lying in bed, so please excuse pencil. 

" We have here four native silk-worms — the Attacus 
cecro2)ia, Attacus 2)rometheics, Attacus luna, and the Atta- 
cus x>olyphemus. 

" The Attacus cecropia spins by far the largest cocoon, 
and is the one I used in drawing the long silk gut from. 
The worms (larvae) feed on the leaves of several kinds 
of trees and shrubs. In swamps is found a shrub known 
as the 'Button -ball bush' {Cephcdanthus occidentalis). 
Among these shrubs I have found the cocoons of the 
A. cecropia in great abundance. I gather the cocoons 
in the fall or winter, male and female, the cocoon con- 
taining the female chrysalis being much the larger. I 
keep the cocoons in a cool place until spring, when such 
trees as the apple and plum are in leaf, on the leaves of 
which the young worms will feed. The plum being the 
best for them. 

"About this time the moths leave the cocoons and 



Leaders. 59 

mate. After they have mated I place the females in 
large paper boxes, in which they lay their eggs, which 
soon hatch. I feed the young larvte on tender leaves of 
the plum-tree, if I have the plum, but the apple or pear 
will answer. After they grow to about an inch long I 
place them in the plum or apple trees, and let them take 
their chance for life against the birds — of course I keep 
a sharp watch of their progress. When the w^orm be- 
gins to spin his cocoon is the right time to draw the silk 
gut. This is done by pinning the worm on a board and 
cutting the body of the worm off, far enough back from 
the head to cut a little off the two silk sacks that con- 
tain the fluid silk, which in consistency looks like the 
white of a hen's q^^. Into this fluid silk I dip a largish 
pin, drawing it more or less slowly until the silk is ex- 
hausted in the sacks ; then with another pin I fasten the 
last end of the gut to the board. 

"The fluid silk hardens immediately as it comes in 
contact with the air. The size of the gut will depend 
entirely on the rapidity with which the gut is drawn — 
the faster it is drawn the smaller will be the gut, 

" I have drawn this gut eight or nine feet long, and 
strong enough to hold a salmon. There is no more dif- 
ficulty in drawing this gut from the Attacus cecropia, 
than from the ordinary silk- worm {Bomhyx mori). The 
Attacus prometheus feeds on the leaves of the sassafras 
and spice-bush, and makes a beautiful silk. 

" Very respectfully, T. Garlick." 

" Bedford, Ohio, July 23, 1884. 
" Henry P. Wells, Esq. : 

"Dear Sir, — Your favor of the 19th is read, and as 
usual finds me a great sufferer. You are at liberty to 



60 Fly-^ods and Fly-tackle. 

use any portion or the whole of my letters on the sub- 
ject of drawing silk gut from our native silk-worms. I 
do nothing to the worm previous to drawing the gut, 
except to pin it to a long board in order to prevent it 
from squirming — pin it at both ends. I cannot tell you 
exactly at what spot or point to cut the worm, in order 
to cut the silk sacks at the best point, and would ad- 
vise you make a careful dissection (a vivisection) of the 
worm, in order to find the best point to cut the silk 
sacks, which should not be where the sacks are the 
largest, but sufficiently large to allow a sufficient flow 
of the fluid silk to make the gut of the right size. Of 
course it requires a much longer time for as large a fibre 
as gut to harden and become silk, than the fine fibre, as 
spun by the worm, which is instantaneous. If you will 
examine the floss silk between the outer and inner shell 
of the cocoon of the Attacus cecropia, you will find that 
fibre a strong silk — provided the cocoon is not an old 
weather-beaten one. I should think you might find on 
Long Island both the Attacus prometheus and the At- 
tacus cecropia — the former on the spice -bush or sas- 
safras ; the latter on the button - ball bush, so called, 
which grows in swampy places. The silk of the Prome- 
theus is of the finest and strongest quality, but not near 
as large as the cocoons of the Attacus cecropia. If the 
silk of the Attacus cecropia is strong, why should not 
the gut be strong? 

"Last year there were a few Cecropias that fed and 
spun on my pear-trees. I wish now that I had drawn 
some gut from them, which I would have cheerfully sent 
to you, but I wanted the moths to put up with other in- 
sects, and let them spin their cocoons on my pear-trees. 
If I find any this year I will, if alive and well enough, 



Leaders. 



61 



try and draw some gut, but fear I shall not be able, even 
if alive and I find the worms, to draw the gut — for I am 
now well into my eightieth year, and expect and hope to 
leave soon. With kind wishes, 

"I am very truly yours, 

"T. Garlick."* 

In other communications Dr. Garlick states : "I vent- 
ure the assertion that the fibre of the Attacus cecropia 
is as strong as that of the B. mori (common silk-worm) 
by actual test. I have drawn gut from both of these 
silk-worms, and encountered no difliculty with either. 
Dr. Sterling, of Cleveland, saw the gut I drew from the 
A. cecropia. I never place the worm in vinegar j^rior 
to drawing the gut ; I should as soon think of placing 
it in concentrated sulphuric acid. I follow nature as near 
as possible, and draw the gut from the living worm." 

Dr. Sterling confii'ms this, if confirmation of any state- 
ment made by Dr. Garlick be not superfluous. He 
writes me, "the gut so drawn from the Cecropia was 
quite round, and all an angler could desire." He fur- 
ther says that the cocoons can be obtained in any quan- 
tity in the thickets of the water sycamore which line the 
swamps and lagoons of Northern Ohio, and that he has 
gathered half a bushel in half an hour. 

The ordinary silk -worm (B. mori) is large if three 
inches long and three-eighths of an inch in diameter ; 
while Dr. Sterling says, "I have seen it (the Cecropia) 
over four inches long, and as thick as a working-man's 
thumb." When it is remembered that this bulk is main- 

* Dr. Garlick died December 9th, 1884, universally respected and re- 
gretted, and leaving behind him that most enviable of records — his 
country is the better for his having lived. 



63 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

ly due to the silk secreted within the worm, and the 
strength of that silk being universally admitted, its great 
superiority to the B. mori for our purpose seems to be 
beyond question. In "On Insects Injurious to Vegeta- 
tion," by F. W. Harris (Orange Judd Publishing Co., 
New York, 1863), he says, "as a worm for quantity and 
durability of silk the Cecropia has so far no equal." 

The worm is apple-green in color, darker below and 
lighter on the back. Its skin is smooth, except for six 
longitudinal ranks of fleshy tubercles, two on each side 
and two on the back. Those on the sides are smaller, 
cylindrical, and blue in color. On the back the tubercles 
are larger and yellow, excej)t those on the three segments 
nearest the head. The latter are larger still, red in color, 
with small black spots, and shaped like a cabbage head 
— that is, as though fleshy excrescences, about the size 
and shape of a No. 1 shot, were joined to the body by a 
fleshy neck. A single tubercle similar in size and form, 
and yellow in color, is attached to the middle of the 
back near the tail. It is the only tubercle on the median 
line of the back. 

The foregoing, it is hoped, will answer for purposes of 
identification, but those desiring further information can 
find colored illustrations of both worm and moth (as 
well as of those hereinafter mentioned, with one excep- 
tion) in vol. xxxii. of the Naturalisf s Library (Henry 
G. Bohn, publisher, York Street, Covent Garden, London). 
The references will be found on page 132, and the pages 
following. The Cecropian worm is therein called the 
" Hyalophora cecropia." A description can also be found 
in " On Insects Injurious to Vegetation," heretofore al- 
luded to, and in " The Lepidoptera of North Amei'ica " 
{Smithsonian Institution, 1862). 



Leaders. 63 

The Attacus prometheus (described and figured on 
p. 1 34, vol. xxxii. of the Ncitur'alist'' s Library) is another 
native worm adapted to our purjDose, and next in point of 
size to the Cecropia. In range it is as extensive as the 
Cecropia. It is not quite so omnivorous in its appetite, 
feeding on the sassafras {Lauras sassafras), the spice-bush 
{L. benzoin), and the swamp button-ball bush {Cephalan- 
thus occidentalis) . It is green in color, with yellow feet; 
" each segment of the body, except the posterior, is 
marked with six blue spots, from which arise small black 
tubercles ; in the second and third segments, however, 
the two centre tubercles are replaced by club-like pro- 
jections of a third of an inch in length, and of a bright 
coral red color. The last segment is furnished with but 
five tubercles, the central one of which is of the same 
clavate form as the anterior segments, but is of a fine 
yellow color." Dr. Garlick says, "These cocoons can 
be collected in great numbers where the sassafras and 
spice-bush are abundant, as it is in this region [Cleve- 
land, Ohio]. Silk can be drawn from this worm from 
three to four feet long, and strong enough for salmon- 
fishing, of the very best quality." 

The Attacus polyphemus is another native silk-worm 
worthy of attention. It is not described in the JVat- 
tiralisfs Library, but three exhaustive papers on its nat- 
ural history and cultivation, by L. Trouvelot, may be 
found in vol. i. of the American Naturalist, pp. 30, 85, 
145. Ml". Trouvelot says in substance, the worm is over 
three inches long and very thick. It is exti-emely hardy, 
and will endure with impunity any temperature, even 
below the zero of Fahrenheit. It feeds equally well on 
the different species of oaks, maples, willows, poplars, 
elms, hazels, birches, blueberry, and other plants, with- 



64 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

out affecting the quality of the silk. " The silk in the 
reservoirs is sometimes used in commerce, being sold 
under the name of gut. The process of obtaining the 
gut is very simple ; it consists in preparing worms ready 
to spin by putting them in strong vinegar for eighteen 
hours ; a transverse opening is then carefully made on 
the under-side and about the middle of the body, taking 
care not to injure the silk reservoirs, which are very dis- 
tinct. The glands or reservoirs are then taken out and 
stretched parallel to each other on a board, and dried 
in the shade for several days." It will yield gut twenty- 
five inches long. 

The Saturnia cynthia, or, as it is sometimes called, 
the Satnia cynthia, though a native of Japan, has be- 
come acclimated, and is sometimes found wild in this 
country on the ailanthus-tree. This is its favorite food, 
hence it is sometimes called the ailanthus silk- worm. An 
excellent paper on its natural history and cultivation, by 
W.V.Andrews, may be found on page 311, vol. ii., of 
the American JVaticralist. A colored illustration of both 
worm and moth maybe found on page 149, vol.xxxii., of 
the Naturalisfs Library, heretofore alluded to. From 
its silk is made a " seemingly loose texture, but of in- 
credible durability, the life of one person being seldom 
sufficient to wear out a garment made of it." 

We all know how prolific and how rapid is the growth 
of the ailanthus, springing from a stub to considerable 
height in a single season, and this on the poorest soils. 
This worm is not a wanderer, but remains on the tree 
on Avhich it is placed as long as its food lasts. It is ex- 
tremely hardy. Two broods a year may be raised. I 
am not informed as to the length of gut which may be 
drawn from it, but its greatly superior size indicates that 



Leaders. 65 

it must far excel the ordinary silk- worm (B. mori) in 
this respect. No special facilities seem necessary. The 
ailanthus can be raised with the greatest ease anywhere, 
and by pruning can be forced to assume and retain a 
low growth, so as to be readily accessible by the cultiva- 
tor to facilitate the care of the worm. It can thus be 
easily raised in the open air. 

Undoubtedly a letter addressed to the Commissioner 
of Agriculture at Washington would elicit not only any 
further information which might be desired, but also 
substantial aid by furnishing eggs or cocoons of any of 
the species hereinbefore mentioned, since this depart- 
ment of the Government is now exerting itself to foster 
silk-culture in this country, 

I have entered into this subject somewhat at length, in 
the hope that it is only necessary to call attention to it, 
to insure before long a supply of domestic gut far supe- 
rior to that we are now forced to put up with. At pres- 
ent we are compelled to depend on Spanish gut. At 
least twenty per cent, of this is imperfect, with hardly 
any two strands of the same thickness, and seldom ex- 
ceeding fifteen inches in length. If we may judge from 
the i^ast, with American ingenuity to conduct this man- 
ufacture, soon the angler would be able to order gut of 
a certain number, and receive an article perfectly round, 
of any desired length, and each strand of uniform thick- 
ness from one end to the other ; the number as invaria- 
bly indicating the diameter as a like designation now in- 
dicates that of metal wire. 

In rods, reels, and lines we lead the world ; why not 
in this as well? 

But another consideration suggests itself, of greater 
moment than an improvement in the art we love so much. 
5 



66 Fhj-rods and Fly-tackle. 

To successfully rear the ordinary silk-worm, patience 
and capital must first be expended in cultivating the 
mulberry required for its food. Again, like all animals 
long domesticated, it has as many diseases as a horse, 
and the most unremitting attention is required lest both 
crop and stock be a total failure. 

Already the reader will have noticed that the food of 
all the worms to which his attention has been called is 
ready to hand, and also that they are very hardy. To 
collect the cocoons for a new crop, to cai'e for the eggs 
for a few days until they hatch, and to feed the young 
until they are an inch or so long, is all that is required; 
then they can be transferred to the trees, and left with 
safety to the care of Nature. About twenty-five days 
after hatching they must be Avatched, and those ready 
to spin selected, pickled, and drawn, allowing enough to 
form their cocoons to produce seed for the next crop. 

Here is a new and lucrative industry, eminently adapt- 
ed to those who, from sex or other causes, are unfitted 
for severe manual labor, yet whose necessities compel 
them to do something. Here is a boon to the female 
population of our rural districts, to whom not energy nor 
industry, but only the opportunity to provide for them- 
selves, IS wanting. No fear of over-production need be 
felt, for the worms may be allowed to spin their cocoons, 
and if they cannot be unreeled and made into goods as 
fine as those from the cocoons of the ordinary silk-worm 
— which is by no means certain — at all events they can 
be carded, spun, and woven into an excellent, durable, 
and desirable fabric. If the raw material can be had 
in any quantity, no fear need be entertained in this 
country that it will not be utilized. 

As to making the gut, who will claim that a manufact- 



Leaders. 67 

ure which is within the scope of the ignorant peasantry 
of Spain, is beyond the intelligence of our agricultural 
population ? Failure may attend a first effort, but ex- 
periment w^ill cost nothing, and success will surely fol- 
low perseverance. It is possible that a method of sizing 
and rounding the gut might be devised, such as drawing 
it through a " draw-plate," either directly from the silk 
sack or subsequently to that step, by which roundness 
and uniformity might be secured automatically, and by 
the most unskilled. A beginning is but necessary, and 
American ingenuity will soon elaborate the best method 
of manipulation. 

A recent communication from Dr. Garlick reads as 
follows: 

"Bedford, Ohio, August 27, 1884. 
" mnnj P. Wells, Esq. : 

" Dear Sir, — I have been trying to guess why it is 
that some have failed to draw good gut from the A. ce- 
cropia. It has occurred to my mind that possibly they 
may have divided the worm too far back from the head, 
thus dividing the silk sacks at a point where they are 
too large to allow the fluid silk to flow just fast enough 
to make the gut of the right size, also uniform in size. 

"You are probably aware that if the spinnerets of 
the worm were larger than what they are, the fibre of 
the cocoon would be very much larger than what it is. 

"It has also occurred to me that dividing the worm 
too far back, the fluid silk may have been mixed with 
other fluids of the worm, thus impairing the strength of 
the gut. Very truly yours, 

"T. Garlick." 

Drawn gut may now be had it is true, but it is con- 
fined to the very thinnest kinds. It is produced in Eng- 



68 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

land and Scotland by redrawing impoi'ted gut. This 
impairs the strength, and renders the gut prone to fray 
and become ragged ; but at the same time it takes dye 
much better and with a much more lustreless surface, a 
feature of great value. Still, its excessive thinness is 
unsuited to most of the requirements of the American 
angler. 

To guide in the selection of gut, I cannot do better 
than repeat the directions of Mi-, Chitty: 

" In choosing gut of any kind be not too much guided 
by an apparent thickness, but, as far as your time and 
patience will permit, select such as is perfectly round ; 
and to i^rove it so, try each piece by turning it quickly 
between the forefinger and thumb, for if it be in any- 
wise flat this will only be effected with difficulty, and 
then you may safely condemn it. Each piece or length 
should be also to the teeth hard, like wire; colorless and 
transparent as glass, which testifies strength; free from 
unravelled fibres, which are attended with an inclination 
to split or peel; knotted roughness, which shows almost 
actual rottenness : the space between the knots, when 
pulled lengthways between the fingers, being soft and 
weak; or flashing lights, when seen in a slanting direc- 
tion, which indicate flatness and consequent weakness. 
It should possess stiffness in bending, and with this 
should be combined elasticity, so that after being dou- 
bled upon itself — in the shape of a loop, for instance — • 
if in thus doubling it assumes anything like an angu- 
larity it will not do, for it surely possesses unequal de- 
grees of strength, even if, where it forms into such an- 
gles, it be not absolutely rotten. Salmon gut may be 
in substance as thick as you can find it, and you will 
possess a treasure if in one hank many lengths are as 



Leader's. 69 

thick as a middling-sized pin or stout knittling-needle. 
In length, the part for use should run from sixteen to 
eighteen inches at least, and the longer the better, pro- 
vided the substance be uniform. The thicker trout gut 
should be of the diameter of ordinary sewing silk, while 
the thinner sort may be almost the very finest you can 
procure, pi'ovided it be ' round and sound,' and keeping 
in view all other requisites for strength. Ten to sixteen 
inches is the usual length of each strand." 

To this may be added one point. Soak an average 
strand or two of your gut, tie a loop in each end, place 
one end over a hook and the other on a spring-balance, 
and find what the breaking strain actually is. Gut of the 
same diameter differs so much in strength that this will 
not be wasted time. I have made an attempt to tabulate 
the fair average of strength to be expected from gut of 
certain sizes, but the measurements are so minute, and 
require appliances so unusual to determine them, that it 
has been abandoned as of no practical value. I myself 
always measure gut before purchasing it. Sometimes I 
have used a Stubb's Avire-gauge for this purpose, but it 
is much too coarse. Uncolored gut No. 28 on that stand- 
ard should stand eight pounds steady pull with a spring- 
balance ; the drawn gut measures thereon about No. 31, 
and should stand two and a half pounds. New gut of 
No. 30 should not break short of four and a half to five 
pounds tested in this manner. I now use a gauge simi- 
lar to that employed to determine the thickness of violin 
strings. It is very easily made, and is quite satisfactory. 

A A represents two pieces of brass touching at one 
end, but separated about an ordinarily fine sewing-nee- 
dle's thickness at the other. The adjacent edges must 
be straight. On each side of the closed ends a flat piece 




70 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

of Lrass is placed, B, and the whole united with soft 
solder and then finished up. Its total length is two and 
a half inches. One of the limbs, 
one and three - quarter inches 
long, is divided into tenths of 
an inch, as shown. Some sim- 
pj„ jg ilar device will be found useful 

for purposes of comparison by 
those who tie their own flies and leaders, enabling such 
to duplicate a satisfactory size — an effort liable to be at- 
tended with mistake if the eye and meraoiy alone are 
relied on. Of course an average must be taken, as no 
bundle of gut runs perfectly uniform — at least as far as 
I have ever seen. 

Having obtained the gut, the next step is the dyeing. 
The books on angling contain receipts without num- 
ber for this purpose, but my experiments induce me to 
believe that two, or at most three of these, answer every 
purpose. I have endeavored to ascertain with some de- 
gree of certainty how much the dyeing process weakens 
the gut, but the investigation is hedged about with dif- 
ficulties. I first tried looping half a dozen strands of 
gut from the same bundle, and finding and recording the 
breaking strain of each strand. Then after knotting the 
pieces together, and dyeing them in a certain manner, 
the breaking strain was again determined and compared 
with that first obtained. From these data it was pro- 
posed to compute the loss in strength due to the use of 
that pai'ticular dye ; but a moment's reflection suffices 
to show that this method can afford no sure result; for 
each strand of course broke in the first instance at its 
weakest point. Consequently, after the fragments have 
been united, the then breaking strain is unknown, and it 



Leaders. 71 

is with this unknown quantity the comparison is neces- 
sarily made. Other methods were tried, but none were 
free from objection. However, it seems safe to say that 
from fifteen up to forty and even fifty per cent, of the 
sti-ength of the gut may be lost in this process, according 
to the skill and care used therein. 

If the following directions are followed, it is believed 
this will be reduced to a minimum. Before dyeing gut, 
the ragged ends should be clipped and the useful por- 
tion bundled together by tying at one end only. This 
bundle should be well washed with brown soap and 
water, and then rinsed in at least three waters until the 
soap is thoroughly eliminated ; it should then be wiped, 
and allowed to dry. Thus any greasy matter which 
may be upon the surface of the gut from any cause will 
be removed, and the dye will bite with gi-eater prompt- 
ness and the more indelibly. For if all dyes are to some 
extent corrosive, as seems to be the case, it is well to ex- 
pose the gut to this influence for as short a time as will 
produce the desired result. 

The least injurious of any which will give a useful 
color is the ink-dye. Indeed I have thought at times 
its use was attended with no loss whatever. Doubtless 
this is partly due to the fact that the gut is then not 
subjected to heat. The resultant color is a neutral tint 
of an azure tone, a color excellent in itself. Ink, how- 
ever, is generally considered inferior to the dyes of which 
copperas is a component, in that it does not equally 
neutralize the natural gloss of the surface of the gut. 
This is of the utmost consequence, since, as will be seen 
hereafter, from a glossy surface the light is so reflected 
that a strand of such gut appears in the water like a 
polished silver wire. Mr. Fred Mather, the widely 



72 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

and well-known sui^erintendent of the Cold Spring Fish 
Hatchery, informs me that the juice of the milk-weed 
will remove this gloss. I have had no opportunity to 
try this, but if when used in conjunction with the dyes 
it will produce this effect without injuring the gut, Mr. 
Mather by hi^ suggestion adds another to the numerous 
obligations he has already placed upon the angling 
fraternity. 

The comparative merits of the different colors are 
discussed in the chapter on Flies and Fly-fishing. My 
experiments seem to indicate that a leader absolutely in- 
visible to the fish, if it ever will be, has not as yet been 
produced. Expei'iment and experience alike incline me 
to believe that more important than fishing up or down 
stream — more important than wearing brilliant or sober 
tinted clothing — more important than wading rather 
than fishing from the bank^more important than being 
yourself visible or concealed — more important, indeed, 
than any of the dozen diffei-ent cautions of the books, is 
it to have your leader — the connection between you and 
the flies — absolutely invisible ; or, since this seems im- 
possible in the present state of the art, then at least that 
it present to the fish no unusual or unfamiliar appear- 
ance. That in or on smooth water, at least, the leaders 
in present use fill neither of these conditions, unless my 
experiments deceive me, I cannot doubt. 

Take this case into consideration from the Forest and 
Stream of February 28,1884: "Near us we have a 
stream in which fish-trout are scarce and wild. They are 
exceedingly suspicious of any kind of tackle. ... I had 
repeatedly cast the most tempting flies, with a mist-col- 
ored leader, without effect. A soliloquy followed: ' That 
leader is not natural to the every-day life of the fish.' 



Leaders. 73 

I adjoiii'ned to a neighboring meadow and cut three or 
four long leafy timothy stalks, which I very loosely 
whipped to my leader. There was no casting, but sim- 
ply letting the line float with the current over the most 
likely places. Complete success was my reward. — '■ Forty- 
Ninerr' 

" Forty - Niner " leaders, prepared as described, did 
comply with one of these conditions, and the " complete 
success " which attended its use is replete with instruc- 
tion to all such as, in the picturesque language of the 
Orient, are willing to be admonished. 

The ink-dye consists simply of "Arnold's Writing 
Fluid," diluted with an equal bulk of cold water. In 
this the gut, washed as before directed, is immersed 
from one -half to three or four hours, according to its 
thickness, or until the desired color is obtained. 

The following process, taken from Chitty by Norris, 
was originally derived by me from the latter's most ex- 
cellent book, " The American Angler." I do not quote, 
but give the process as I use it. 

In a pint and a half of cold water put one drachm of 
ground logwood and six grains of powdered copperas. 
Boil for about five or six. minutes, or until a piece of 
writing -pa;per immersed therein is promptly colored. 
Then remove the pot from the fire, and as soon as the 
liquid becomes quiescent put in the gut, tied to a little 
stick or a wire so that it may be lifted and examined 
from time to time. With Avatch in hand; give it two 
to three minutes, according to its thickness, and then 
inspect the result. If not dyed sufticiently, I'eplace it for 
another half-minute ; and so on till the required shade is 
obtained. Then wash well in cold w^ater, and the process 
is complete. 



74 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tackle. 

This will dye one hank of gut. Then it should be 
thrown away, and a fresh decoction made if more gut 
is to be colored ; for the dye becomes more and more 
feeble with use, and a more and more protracted expos- 
ure to the heated liquid is therefore required. Though 
the copperas itself impairs the gut to a certain degree, 
still this appears to be of small moment when compared 
to the injury done by long continued immersion in the 
almost boiling liquid. Indeed it seems to make the dif- 
ference between a loss of fifteen and possibly fifty per 
cent., as before intimated. The color thus obtained is a 
dull neutral tint. 

Different samples of logwood vary greatly in the 
amount of extractive color they contain. This may be 
tested with a slip of writing-paper, as before intimated. 
If failure is encountered it will be from this cause, and 
success will attend a change to logwood procured from 
another source. 

In streams where floating grass and weeds are not un- 
common, the following may give better results ; for 
though more visible, it presents a less unusual appear- 
ance, I borrow it from Francis Francis's book on "An- 
gling :" "Boil green baize in water, and when this is 
well charged with color, and still Avarm, immerse the gut 
therein until sufliciently dyed." Then wash as before. 
All these boiling operations should be conducted in 
earthenware vessels, since most dyes are sensitive to 
metallic salts or oxides. 

Having dyed and Avashed the gut, while still soft bind 
it to a stick that it may dry straight. Then proceed to 
sort it, selecting first and j^lacing by themselves all the 
thickest strands, rejecting altogether such as are flat and 
irregular in form ; for these are not only deficient in 



Leaders. 75 

strength, but, giving more reflection, are consequently 
far more conspicuous in or on the water. Throw these 
away without hesitation, for they are worse than useless. 
When doubt is experienced whether any of the remain- 
ing strands should be classified with those first select- 
ed, begin at the other end of the scale, and proceed in 
the same manner to select and separate all the thin- 
nest strands. Thus make three bundles of large, me- 
dium, and small gut. You are now ready to tie your 
leaders. 

First, however, the proposed length must be deter- 
mined, and this should be such that when the tail -fly 
is hooked upon one of the posts separating the side plates 
of the reel, the leader will extend to within eight inches 
or a foot of the tip-end of the rod. Make the upper 
third of the leader from the bundle composed of the 
largest gut, the middle from the medium bundle, and 
the fly end from that containing the thinnest gut. 

Having selected the strands, but still keeping them 
separate by tying each little bundle with a different 
colored thread, soften by soaking in warm water, such 
as is not uncomfortable to the touch. Ordinarily cold 
water is to be preferred to soften a leader preparatory 
to attaching it to the line, but where knots are to be 
tied the utmost softness is required, not only that the 
gut may not crack during the operation, but to insure 
that each knot draws so tight as thereafter to be beyond 
the possibility of slij^ping. 

When the gut is perfectly pliable, beginning at the 
line end, select the largest strand, and doubling one end 
into a loop, tie this ordinary knot, using the doubled part 
as though it were a single piece of string. Arrange 
the position of the knot so as to give a loop from one- 



76 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

half to three-quarters of an inch long. Then inserting 
a match through the loop, grasp the short end betAveen 
the teeth, the long end with the left hand, and draw the 
knot together, shaking it well when under the final strain 
to settle the parts together just as far as they can be 
made to slip. 




Fig. 20.— The ordinary knot. 




Same kuot to form loop ou leader. 



Knots, theoretically more perfect, are generally em- 
ployed for this purpose, but practically they are no whit 
better — indeed hardly so good, since they are all more or 
less complex, while this knot is already known to every 
child ten years old. 

The next step is to unite this looped strand to an- 
other, to be the next thickest of the bundle from which 



Leaders. 



77 



the first was chosen. For this purpose the very same 
knot may be used, by lapping the ends past each other, 
and then proceeding as though you were about to tie 
the same knot in a single string, and adjusting its posi- 
tion so as to fall on the doubled part — thus : 




This knot is however inconvenient, in that the entire 
strand must be drawn through the knot every time it is 
formed. 

There is another method, that which I use myself and 
prefer. 




It is still the same knot we have used before. The 
strands are lapped, and two ordinary knots are tied, one 



78 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

with each short part around each long part. The knots 
are then drawn tight where they are made ; then upon 
pulling on the long ends the two ordinary knots will 
slide together, when they should be well shaken while 
under strain, as and for the purpose above set forth. 
This is known as the " single water-knot." The " double 
water -knot" is generally used for this purpose, since 
then it is claimed the ends can be cut off as close as pos- 
sible without danger of slipping, and this is true. It is 
tied in the same way as the single water - knot, except 
that each short part is passed twice around the neighbor- 
ing long parts instead of but once, and the end of each 
short part is passed through both the loops so formed. 




Fig. 24. 



Till within the last five years I always used the double 
water-knot, but then disliking its size and obtrusiveness, 
1 turned to the single water-knot, and have employed 
that with entire satisfaction ever since. There is un- 
questionably more margin for carelessness to escape the 
usual penalty in the double, than in the single knot. 
But with care, not forgetting when straining the twin 
knots (if I may use that expression) together to shake 
them well, the single water-knot is perfectly safe and by 
no means so bulky. 

It is exceedingly difficult verbally so to describe a 
knot, that one entirely unacquainted with it can at the 



Leaders. 79 

first effort successfully follow the given directions. That 
one possible stumbling-block may be removed, it may be 
remarked that both of these water-knots are really com- 
posed of two separate knots, tied with each short end of 
the strands, and around the long portion of the strand 
against which each is lapped. Each of these component 
knots, therefore, merely embraces the longer neighboring 
strand, and the latter may freely slide within it. This 
feature is sometimes taken advantage of as a solution to 
the difficult question, how the drop-flies may most ad- 
vantageously be attached to the leader. For if the two 
knots which compose the water-knot be seized by the 
finger-nails, theoretically they may be separated an inch 
or so, leaving the gut doubled between these knots. If 
then the end of the gut upon which a drop-fly is tied be 
inserted between this doubled gut, and the component 
knots be drawn together, the end of the drop-fly gut is 
secured, and the fly stands out nicely at right angles from 
the leader. 

I say theoretically the water-knot will separate; but 
practically, after the leader is wet and swollen, it will 
absolutely refuse so to do at least two -thirds of the 
time. I have even tied in, when forming the knot, a 
third thick strand, to be removed when the knot was 
complete, and thus allow for the swelling of the leader 
when wet. But it was the same old story; like the 
Dutchman's pig, sometimes it would and sometimes it 
wouldn't. 

No trifle is more exasperating than to stand knee- 
deep in water, a choice and favorite pool before you, 
one fly between your teeth, and your rod tucked under 
your arm, and pick away and in vain at these knots. 
I have even heard adjectives of great force then ap- 



80 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

plied to them, and in a tone which left no question of 
the heartiness of the condemnation. 

If, however, this method of attaching the drop-flies is 
preferred, the double water-knot should be used rather 
than the single, since the latter will not bear with safety 
the incidental manipulation. 

The following seems to me preferable, and though a 
little more visible, still the drop-flies can thus always 
readily be changed, and that without danger to the an- 
gler's peace of mind. 

At the place where the drop-flies should be, join the 
leader by two loops instead of knots — thus : 




By pushing these loops apart, an opening may be formed 
in which the gut of the drop - fly may be inserted, and 
securely held when the loops are drawn tight again. 

There is nothing in the making of a leader beyond 
forming the loops at the proper places, and uniting the 
short lengths by knots. This has been described. 

Some recommend fastening a gut loop to the end of 
the line, and looping the leader to it in the usual man- 
ner — that is, by inserting the loop on the line through 
the loop on the larger end of the leader, and then draw- 
ing the entire leader through the former, just as the 
tail - fly is ordinarily attached to the leader. Others 



Leaders. 81 

prefer to knot the line to the leader in the following 




Fig. 11.— A, line; B, leader. 

This knot is theoretically a perfect knot, in that it will 
stand forever if so desired, yet may be loosed with ease 
at any time.* The knot as first figured, is not yet drawn 
together. » Care must be taken that this knot does not 
" upset " when tightened — that is, the knot must be on 
the loop of the leader itself, and by no means on the 
line, since in the one case it will stand, and in the other 
it wall not. This will be more clear if we investigate 
the principle on which it is constructed. On examining 
the diagram, it appears that the end of the line is 
first run through the loop of the leader, then wrapped 
entirely around the outside of the loop, and lastly is 
tucked between the line on one side and both parts of 
the loop on the other. Clearly this knot cannot slip, un- 
less the end of the line slips at the same time. But the 
greater the strain, the more firmly that end is compressed 



83 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



and held ; while if the knot is pushed down the loop of 
the leader, as shown in the first figure, it is clear that 
the end is at once freed from pressure, and may be easily 
withdrawn and the knot released. To facilitate this, 
some double the end before putting it under the line, as 
shown in the second figure. Then a pull on the end 
loosens the knot, just as a shoe is untied. If, however, 
the knot is allowed to " upset," this is the result, in which 
it is clear, first, that the end of the line is not " jammed," 
and second, that the knot cannot easily be unfastened. 




B 

Fig. 28.— >4. line; B, leader. 

If not already familiar with this knot, try it right here 
with a piece of string. It is very simjjie. Half a dozen 
experiments, guided by the diagram, will indelibly im- 
press it on the memory. No person learns a knot solely 
from inspection of a drawing. But such inspection be- 
comes study when combined with an effort to follow out 
the illustration in practice, and this is the way, and the 
only way, and at the same time a sure way, to master a 
matter of this kind. Some complain they can never learn 
a knot from a book. The only difiiculty is that such do 
not attack it in the right way. Any of the simple knots 
required by the angler can thus readily be mastered, 
provided the learner will only ti-y string in hand. 

How far the drop-flies should be placed from the tail- 
fly depends on circumstances. With a long rod they 
may be nearer than with a short rod, so also when wad- 



Leaders. 83 

ing as compared to fishing from the bank. With a ten- 
foot rod about forty inches between the tail and middle 
fly, and from eighteen to twenty-four inches between the 
latter and the hand-fly, will be the average. 

It is customary to secure the tail-fly to the leader by 
providing both parts with loops, and looping them to- 
gether. But I decidedly prefer to have my flies, no 
matter how diminutive they may be, provided with a 
small loop at the head instead of the usual looped length 
of gut, and to attach the leader, or the dropper-gut (as 
the case may be), to them by the knot shown in Fig. 26. 
By terminating the gut to be tied with a small hard 
knot, the projecting end shown in that figure may prac- 
tically be dispensed with, since the knot will then retain 
the end in its proper position. 

This method has, I believe, many advantages. The 
customary loops are apt to inmesh more or less air, 
which, when submerged, shines like polished silver; 
while all disturban.ee of the water caused by the knot I 
advocate is so close to the fly as readily to be attributed 
to the motion of the fly itself. Again, it is unnecessary 
to pass the fly through the loop, and the injury it not 
unfrequently suffers from this cause is avoided, while 
all flies are alike indifferently available for droppers as 
well as stretchers ; and lastly, an ordinary tin tobacco- 
box becomes a most convenient fly-book for temporary 
use. When this method is followed, the dropper -gut 
lengths of course remain constantly attached to the 
leader while in use. 

Having completed your leader, grading its taper by 
careful and oi'derly selection from the thick, medium and 
thin bundles of gut, snip off the free ends closely. The 
next step is to test it. This should never be omitted. 



84 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

Provide yourself with some strips of writing-paper aljout 
half an inch wide and an inch long, and gum one end, and 
let this dry. Then proceed as follows : Soak your leader 
till perfectly soft. Thrust a brad-awl through one end 
loop, and into a board. Apply a spring-balance to the oth- 
er end loop, holding this with the right hand, while you 
reach before it and grasp the leader with the left. Then 
strain the leader till it breaks, noting upon the spring- 
balance at how many pounds this takes place. Then 
knot the leader again, snip off the ends, coil it about 
something round to give it a nice appearance, and after 
removing the leader, fasten the coils so formed by wind- 
ing one end spirally about them. Then write the date, 

and "breaks at pounds," on one of the paper slips, 

and attach it to the leader. You will thereafter know 
the history of that leader, and what reliance can be 
placed upon it. Should the leader break in testing much 
below what you think it should have endured, pi'ove it 
again after re-tying it. For in the first instance the gut 
may have been cracked somewhere, and if this was the 
case your test gave no indication of its real strength. 
I believe it will be found wise invariably to test a leader 
every time it is to be used. This can be done in an in- 
stant with the aid of a friend and a spring-balance, which 
latter will of course form a part of your outfit. 

Soften two leaders in cold or tepid water — not hot wa- 
ter, since it dissolves the gluten and impairs the strength 
of the gut. While a friend holds one loop of the leader 
on a match, or similar slip of soft wood free from sharp 
edges, hook your spring -balance into the loop at the 
other end. Let each grasp the leader between his thumb 
and finger as far towards the middle as he can reach, so 
that if it breaks, you may still retain the pieces and not 



Leaders. 85 

be obliged to hunt them up. Then put on the strain. 
It will of course break at the weakest point, and in two 
or three trials these will be eliminated. 

In September of 1883 a friend was about to make his 
maiden cast in Maine waters, to which he had been at- 
tracted by repoi-ts of the large trout which might be 
there taken. Since the trip had been determined on, he 
had dreamed of nothing but big trout, and his ardor was 
at fever heat. Beside leaders lit to hold a shark, which 
had been si^ecially provided for that occasion, he had 
half a dozen lighter ones, left from a previous excursion 
to the Adirondacks. He was strongly recommended to 
test, and, if strong enough, to use the latter. Not one of 
them, on the first trial, bore a strain of half a pound with- 
out I'upture. Some broke three times, but not one failed 
finally to endure four and a half pounds, and that with 
but trivial loss in length. Had he used the leaders he in- 
tended, their excessive thickness and unnecessary obtru- 
siveness would doubtless have seriously lessened his 
chances of success with the grade of fish he had come so 
far to take; while had he employed the others, how great 
would have been his disappointment when every decent 
rise he had must have been followed by the loss of the 
fish, his flies, and a portion of his leader. The fault lay 
not with the quality of the gut, for that was good enough ; 
but at some time since these leaders were made, they had 
been subjected to maltreatment when dry, breaking the 
fibre, and thus rendering the leader worse than useless 
until the damaged part was eliminated. The most care- 
ful and critical ocular inspection would have given rise 
to no suspicion how defective these leaders really were. 
Actual test alone could detect their weakness. 

Take another instance from my own experience. Some 



86 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

years ago I purchased a bundle of gut, which, though 
small in diameter, was of uncommon length, as well as 
of unusual excellence in every other respect. It Avas 
justly regarded as a great prize. Having abundance of 
other colors, I prepared to dye this lot in a decoction of 
red onion-peel, under the mistaken impression that a 
brownish-yellow tint was the least visible in brown wa- 
ters. The dye did not seem to bite readily, so the aid 
of heat was sought to hasten the process. This had the 
desired effect, and a very satisfactory color was obtained. 
Half a dozen leaders were made from it in the hurry in- 
cident to the last day or two of preparation for a some- 
what protracted fishing-trip, and with them in my fly- 
book I set out. Arriving in the evening, the next morn- 
ing we began our preparations for fishing, when these 
leaders were produced with a grand flourish befoi'e the 
other anglers then present, and their supposed merits 
were expatiated upon. From hand to hand they passed, 
the length and the roundness of the strands, and their 
uniform and delicate color, eliciting universal admiration. 
It then occurred to me that they had not been tested; and 
this, acting on principle, and not because I entertained 
the most remote susi^icion of their strength, I proceeded 
to do. We have the best of authority that " pride goeth 
before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall," and 
so it was in this case. The gut before dyeing showed an 
avei-age breaking strain of eight pounds, and guided by 
the tests then made, not the slightest doubt was enter- 
tained that the leaders made from it, after dyeing, would 
stand six pounds at least; but the protracted exposure 
to lieat had rotted them throughout, and they broke 
again and again at two pounds, and less. It may easily 
be imagined that so little wool after so great a cry was 



Leaders. 87 

sufficiently humiliating; but at the same time the cloud 
had its silver lining, though invisible until its shadow had 
passed. I then learned the lessons which it is the pur- 
pose of these incidents to impress — keep your gut from 
hot water except in dyeing, and then let the exposure 
be as brief as possible; and 7iever use an untested leader, 
no matter how great your confidence in its strength 
may be. 

The strain imposed upon a leader by even the largest 
trout is generally greatly over-estimated. A leader that 
will endure five pounds steady strain with a spring-bal- 
ance will, when backed by the elasticity of a fair rod, re- 
sist the utmost effort of the largest trout that swims the 
Rangely Lakes. I doubt whether the largest of them on a 
steady strain can pull one pound in still water; though of 
course if it gather momentum, and thus throw its weight 
and velocity suddenly upon a leader, the momentary 
strain might be much greater. It is also quite another 
thing to drag a struggling fish through the water against 
his utmost effort, from merely holding him at a fixed 
distance. It is quite true that the strain imposed by a 
spring-balance is an even and steady pull, most favorable 
to the endurance of the gut ; and also that in actual use, 
in a moment of inattention on the part of the angler, 
strains of a different and more sudden nature may be en- 
countered. But still I believe that a leader that will 
stand a spring-balance pull of four and a half to five 
pounds, has ample reserve to meet this. A thin leader 
is a very decided advantage, and nothing heavier than 
gut adequate to meet a reasonable margin for deteriora- 
tion by lapse of time and wear, added to the power of 
the fish against which it is to be employed, should be 
used. 



88 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

The thickness of leaders habitually used at the Range- 
ly Lakes is simply preposterous. Heavier would not be 
selected for a forty-pound salmon. 

Among other reasons, these conclusions rest partly on 
the following : 

In June, 1883, with some other anglers I was in camp 
in the Maine woods. The conversation turned on this 
subject, and having seen the experiment tried, I said 
that the strain of any trout could not by possibility 
much exceed a pound. This statement was regarded by 
some with so much surprise, that a trial was suggested. 
A ten-foot hexagonal split-bamboo rod of my own make, 
and quite stiff for a fly-rod, was used. Drawing with 
this upon a spring-balance following up the bend of the 
rod as a fish would do, with the hand holding the rod 
and its butt aAvay from the body, the strongest among the 
half dozen, and he a man of muscle, could with his ut- 
most effort — such an effort that the rod fairly quivered 
— scarcely raise a strain of one and a quarter pounds. 
He had caught many large fish, and frankly admitted 
that he had never exerted any such force as that. We 
all tried it, I among the number. The very next morn- 
ing I took a trout which weighed five pounds and tAvo 
ounces, after a twenty minutes' fight. During this I 
constantly had in mind the experiment of the preced- 
ing evening, and I am confident that at no time did his 
pull exceed half a pound. This was, however, in still 
water. 

During September of the same year a friend, using 
quite a fine leader tested to four and a half pounds, fast- 
ened a trout in still water but in a very dangerous 
place. Not only did he hold him without yielding an 
inch of line, but hung to him till his guide took the boat 



Le 

into clear water, towing the fish after. It weighed four 
and a half pounds. 

I might multiply instances of this kind, but these seem 
sufficient. 

Therefore, a reasonably fine leader, taking into con- 
sideration the circumstances under which it is to be 
used, but of strictly first-class material, is recommended. 
Test it frequently. See to it that it never be bent when 
dry, and especially that no one step on it whether dry 
or wet — an accident quite likely to happen when mount- 
ing the rod at the beginning, or taking it apart at the 
conclusion of a day's fishing. 

Remember it is the large fish that exact the penalty 
for negligence of this kind. There is no medicine for a 
mind stricken by such a loss and so caused. Over most 
misfortunes time kindly draws the veil of oblivion, but 
this wound never cicatrizes. I meet one gentleman fre- 
quently, but never, if angling is mentioned, does he fail 
to mourn over an eight - pounder he lost through the 
breaking of his leader years ago. This may be because 
of the sharjj contrast any serious misfortune presents to 
the generally unalloyed happiness of angling, but what- 
ever is the cause, the fact remains that such mishaps 
dwell in the recollection long after every other associated 
incident is forgotten. 

Therefore I repeat, test your leaders carefully, and be 
sure they are up to your work ; but do not seek this re- 
sult by using a cable where a thread is adequate, but by 
care in selection of material, care in manufacture, and 
care in preservation. If you do this you will never 
lose a fish from this cause ; if you do not, no matter 
how large the gut you may employ, it will sooner or 
later play you false. 



90 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 



CHAPTER r. 

REELS. 

HowEVEK useful the later forms of reel, which can 
be changed from a click to a multiplier at will, may be 
where casting the minnow is the usual, and casting the 
fly the exceptional method of fishing, all the authorities 
agree that for fly-fishing pure and simple a plain click- 
reel is the best. 

The spool, or part on which the line is wound, should 
be quite naiTow — say from one-half to three-quarters of 
an inch wide. The narrower this is, the less attention 
need be given to the distribution of the line on the spool 
when reeling in. With a wide reel the line, unless 
Avatched, has a tendency to bunch in one place. From 
this bunch Some of the lateral coils slip off sideways, 
and thus become loose ; these become involved with 
the succeeding turns of the line, Avhich then fouls and 
refuses to render. This state of affairs is not only very 
annoying, but it is also exceedingly dangerous ; since, 
should this happen when any fish of a size the angler 
would regret to lose is fast, something will probably 
break and the fish escape. 

Another point of importance is the handle of the reel. 
This should be so arranged that when the line is drawn 
from the reel preparatory to the back cast, the loop so 
formed Avill find no point of attachment on the handle, 
should it be accidentally thrown over it ; for if this 



Reels. 91 

happens and the line catches, tlie reel is locked and the 
line will not render. An ordinary unprotected crank- 
handle, therefoi-e, should never be allowed on a reel for 
fly-fishing. Two preventive methods are in use : first, 
using a mere button attached to a circular plate for a 
handle ; and second, protecting the ordinary crank-handle 
by providing the side plate with a flange, thus forming a 
recess within which the handle revolves. The object is to 
prevent the slack line from passing between the plate and 
the crank. Either of these methods accomplishes this 
purpose ; while, should the line pass over the handle, its 
shape is such that the line slips off, and thus disengages 
itself automatically. 

Another desideratum in a reel for fly-fishing is that 
the click should be as light as possible, yet offer suffi- 
cient resistance to prevent the reel from overrunning. 
The friction of the line through the rings and in the 
water is quite enough, when supjDlemented by rather a 
feeble click, to impose sufficient load upon the fish. It 
is however a matter of the first importance that the line 
be at all times solidly wound upon the reel, since other- 
wise snarls will occur and the line refuse to render — 
always at the most inopportune moment. With too 
light a click the reel is apt to overrun a little every 
time the line is drawn out, and this danger cannot be 
avoided. 

No music is so sweet to the angler's ear as the whirr 
of the reel, for it announces not only the ti'iuraph of his 
individual skill in tempting the fish to forget their habit- 
ual caution, but it promises the pleasure of, and a happy 
issue to, the coming contest. Therefore I prefer one 
Avhich speaks with a crisp, clear voice, though of course 
this is of no practical value beyond increasing the pleas- 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



ure of him that iises it; but this it does, at least in my 
own case, to no small degree. 

This portion of the reel should be well made, for the 
wear-and-tear upon it is great. The spring, pawl, and 
click-wheel should all be made of tempered steel ; while 
the pivot upon which the pawl vibrates should be sup- 
ported above as well as below the pawl, or no man can 
tell when it will give out and refuse to act. To say 
nothing of the tangles of line due to the reel overrun- 
ning, and the annoyance and danger which follow the 
disability of this part, to one w^ho is accustomed to its 
voice, a sense as though a friend were stricken dumb 
follows, when it should, yet does not speak. 

It is to be regretted that the old method of placing 
the parts which compose the click within a box upon the 
outside of the reel has gone out of fashion. Then these 
were open to inspection and adjustment both by mak- 
er and jiurchaser, and they 
were well and durably made. 
Now, but too frequently, the 
pawl is merely secured by a 
headed pin on which the 
pawl works, which pin has 
no support except what it 
derives from the insertion 
of one end into the side 
plate. This is totally in- 
adequate to withstand for 
any length of time the rack- 
Pig. 29. ing to which it will be sub- 

ject, and to use such a reel is 
but to invite misfortune. No part of an angler's outfit 
should be more absolutely above suspicion, since, .with 




Reels. 93 

the facilities commonly at hand, an accident here is be- 
yond immediate repair, and unless another reel can be 
had, the pleasure of his trip if not altogether ruined, is 
much impaired. 

The preceding illustration shows how this part should 
be constructed. A is the click-wheel, which should be 
of hardened steel. The axle- of the spool is squared to 
receive the wheel which fits on this square, and is there 
secured by a large-headed screw, a. Thus this part is a 
fixture, and cannot by possibility get adrift. The spring, 
B, is rigidly secured to the side of the reel by two screws, 
and should be actually tempered and not made from 
wire or metal which owes its elasticity solely to rolling, 
as is too often the case. G is the pawl working on a 
pivot, both ends of which are secured, the lower in a hole 
in the plate itself, and the upper in the cap, D. This 
latter is fastened to the plate by two screws as shown. 
Here it is plain nothing can get out of order; and this 
was the usual method when reels were provided with an 
exterior box in which the working parts were enclosed. 
This box, however, was usually made so unnecessarily 
large as to be unsightly, while the reels themselves were 
inconveniently wide. Consequently these were super- 
seded in popularity by a narrower reel, of that form in 
which the working parts constituting the click are placed 
between one side of the spool and its adjacent side plate. 

Though some reels of this form are well made in this 
respect, still by far the greater part are not; and brass 
click- wheels and brass pawls inadequately supported, and 
wire springs riveted to the side plate of the reel, are 
the usual components of the click. Of course brass is 
totally unfit as a material for parts destined to such se- 
vere usage, and cannot wear for any length of time. 



94 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

These defects only become apparent in actual use on the 
stream, to the utter demoralization of the angler. There- 
fore a reel so made should be rejected ; and that such 
should not be bought unawares, the dealer should be 
questioned as to how the click is made, or the buyer 
should insist that the reel be taken apart. Indeed, if 
he does not already know how to do this, he should 
insist on being shown, since annual cleaning, oiling, etc., 
will be advisable, and he should be able to do this with- 
out injury to the reel by experimental efforts directed to 
this end. 

Another objection to the reel as at present made, 
though by no means so serious, is the smallness of the 
axle on which the line is wound. This seldom exceeds 
the diameter of an ordinary lead-pencil. Thus at first 
hardly an inch of line is taken up to a complete revolu- 
tion of the spool, while it is always retrieved with a 
slowness neither desirable nor necessary. Some seek to 
overcome this by first enlarging the axle with ordinary 
twine, upon which the line is then wound, others by 
using multiplying or automatic reels. 

The illustration on the following page shows the form 
of reel I make for my own use, and it is the best in prin- 
ciple of which I have knowledge. 

In this reel each side of the spool is cast separately. 
These are faced off on the inner sides, soft-soldered to- 
gether, and six holes equally spaced are drilled through 
both. Thus these holes correspond exactly. I then 
unsolder the sides. Then six short wires (a a a in the 

diagram) are made of this form, • ,__^ 

and by inserting the smaller ends ' -^ 

in the holes, and soft -soldering, and then riveting the 
ends down, the sides of the spool are rigidly and per- 



Reels. 



95 



manently joined together. It is then finished as though 
it were one single piece. The line is then fastened to 
one of these wires, and'the first revolution of the han- 
dle takes in about four inches of line. All the click 
machinery is contained in the box, B. The handle, ^1, 




is attached to an ordinary crank, united to the shaft 
by a square bearing and secured by a screw. The 
flange, C, covers the crank, and prevents the line from 
fouling it. 

Automatic reels in which a spring is coiled by with- 
drawing the line, and the reaction of which is supposed 
to retrieve it, have been made and are upon the market. 



96 Fly-Tods and Fly-tackle. 

I have never used one, but the reports that I receive 
from those who have, do not bias me in their favor. 
Irrespective of the question of whether they do or do not 
do in practice what is claimed for them in theory, they 
certainly, if good for anything, greatly reduce the margin 
for skill and judgment on the part of the angler, and 
tend in my opinion to degrade the art to the level of 
pot-fishing. 

Of Avhat material the reel should be composed remains 
to be considered. Brass and german-silver, or these metals 
combined with celluloid or rubber, are usually employed 
and give good results. I prefer an all metal reel, since 
metal affords a more substantial hold to the fastenings 
of the click-machinery than rubber or celluloid. The lat- 
ter save weight, but I do not consider this as important 
as some do in trout-fishing, where the reel is habitually 
located below the hand. A moderate weight helps to 
counterpoise the rod, and thus overcome the leverage of 
the longer portion against the angler ; and we all know 
it is this leverage, rather than the actual weight of the 
rod, which causes fatigue. 

Aluminum reels are coming into the market and into 
use, upon the plea of saving weight, as they most cer- 
tainly do. But they are very expensive — more so than 
their advantages will warrant. Besides, this metal is 
very sensitive to any alkaline solution, and is easily cor- 
roded by sea-water ; or by perspiration, if the latter hap- 
pens to be alkaline, as it frequently is. Therefore such 
reels, if employed, should be plated with some more 
durable metal.* 



* Since this was written, a new process of production is said to have 
reduced the cost of this metal from over a dollar an ounce to less than 



Reels. 97 

AH are agreed that the reel for a single-handed fly-rod 
should be located below the hand, but there is some dif- 
ference of opinion as to whether it should be at the ex- 
treme butt or farther up. If at the extreme butt, it is 
claimed to counterbalance the longer portion of the rod 
more efficiently, and for this reason it is generally there 
placed. For small fish this unquestionably answers well. 
But no man can stand the continued strain of playing a 
large fish at arm's-length. The butt is then supported 
against the body, and if the reel is located too low down, 
a blow in the stomach is received from the hand at every 
revolution of the reel-handle. For this reason it is my 
practice to secure the reel by inserting one end of the 
reel-plate under a band just below the hand, instead of 
below the butt-cap itself, fastening the other end by a 
sliding band in the usual manner. I then reduce the 
length of that part of the handle appropriated to the 
reel as much as possible, and yet retain sufficient length 
to insure convenient manipulation of the reel when the 
butt is supported against the body. 

For the benefit of such as make their own reels, I give 
the following method of tempering the spring, taught 
me by one of the best tool-makers in this country. With 

that for a pound. The advantage of its low specific gravity (2.60) is 
offset by softness, lack of stiffness and elasticity, its solubility in alka- 
line solutions, and that it cannot be soldered. In itself, therefore, it 
would seem to merit little attention on the part of the angler. But its 
alloys with copper are quite another matter. That composed of ninety 
parts of the latter and ten parts of aluninium some authorities assert to 
be the most rigid metal known. It is of a red-gold color, tarnishes with 
reluctance, is somewhat lighter than brass or german- silver, and will 
solder. For reels and i-od-trimmings, now that it should be cheaper than 
german-silver, it seems well worthy serious consideration. 
7 



98 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tackle. 

nothing beyond the same verbal instructions here given 
to guide me, I have never failed to produce a spring of 
apparently perfect temper. 

Having turned and filed my spring out of a plate of 
the best obtainable steel, about 3^^ of an inch thick, and 
drilled the screw holes, I next polish out every trans- 
verse scratch. After hardening the spring in water in 
the usual way, I heat some sperm-oil in a small vessel 
until it takes fire. Securing my spring to a wire, I sub- 
merge it in the burning oil until I think both are at the 
same temperature, and then withdraw it, ignite the ad- 
hering oil, and allow it to burn off. Having repeated 
this three times, I immediately swing it around my head 
until it is cold. 



Rods and Rod Material. 



CHAPTER VI. 

RODS AND ROD MATERIAL. 

In no matter pertaining to the art of fly-fishing is 
there such discordance of opinion as in regard to the 
proper action and balance of the rod. In nothing does 
the old adage " what is one man's meat is another man's 
poison" more fully apply. 

The lengths preferred by different anglers, all thor- 
oughly experienced and skilled, vary in about the same 
proportion as do the noses on their respective faces. 

Perhaps the extreme limits now used in this coun- 
try lie between twelve feet and nine feet six inches. 
Abroad, twelve feet is considered rather a short rod. 
Here the tendency is decidedly to shorten and lighten 
the rod, and those of twelve feet will even now only be 
found in the hands of veterans, in whose ideas change 
finds no place. 

The American angler regards the fly-fishing outfit of 
our transatlantic cousins with mingled admiration and 
surprise — admiration for the filmy leader and the ex- 
quisite flies — but astonishment approaching almost to 
incredulity at the engine with which these are said to be 
propelled. The rod and the tackle seem to him utterly 
incongruous, like wedding a man of eighty-five to a girl 
of sixteen. 

Francis Francis, in his book on " Angling," giv^s a 
table of the length and weight of four single-handed 



100 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

fly-rods, which he evidently regards as about the proper 
thing, as follows : 

Maker. Weight. Length. 

1. Gould 13 ounces 12 drachms. 12 feet 8 inches. 

2. Cheek 14 " 6 " 11 " 7 " 

3. Bownes 13 " 4 " 11 " 8 " 

4. Aldred 13 " 8 " 12 " 4i " 

No wonder he recommends that a double-handed rod 
should be used in preference to a single-handed, giving 
the following, among other reasons, for his preference : 
" But to fish a whole day with a single-handed rod is 
very trying to the forearm, and more particularly to the 
grasp of the right hand. Many a time has my hand and 
arm ached so after a long spell of casting, that I have 
been compelled to leave off to rest them." 

It would be indeed surprising were this not so. After 
all, what are we after — Avhat is the end in view ? It is 
not merely obtaining possession of the fish, for that re- 
sult can be had at far less cost and much greater certain- 
ty witli a silver hook in the fish-market. Recreation and 
amusement are the objects anglers seek — British and 
American alike ; and therefore it seems reasonable to 
conclude, that whatever methods and whatever appliances 
best conduce to these results, are the best in themselves 
even though the total catch be a little diminished thereby. 

Should this meet the eye of a British angler, let me 
recommend him to try one of our rods — or one there 
made on our plan, say ten or even eleven feet long, 
and from six to even nine ounces in weight. And if 
from some local peculiarity of fish or water, of which 
we are ignorant and cannot imagine, this does somewhat 
diminish his total catch, still we believe the increased 
comfort and pleasure the use of such a rod must afford 



Rods and Rod Material. loi 

over the poles of the preceding table, will induce a will- 
ing consent to the sacrifice. 

Dame Juliana Berners, in the " Boke of St. Albans," 
published in 1486, recommends the following rod : It 
is to be at least fourteen feet long — the butt measuring 
a "fadom and a half" (nine feet), and of the thickness 
of an "arm grete" (as thick as a man's arm), with joints 
bound with long "hoopes of yren" (iron hoops). 

Certainly this remarkable implement possessed advan- 
tages not found in the modern rod. In stream fishing, 
with its aid as a leaping-pole, the stream could be crossed 
from side to side, as occasion required, dry shod ; or it 
might even be used as a bridge, if the angler had a 
good knack of balance ; while on the pond or lake, labor 
at the weary oar could be relieved by erecting it at the 
bow and extemporizing a sail for the mast so made. 
Again, at sea it would well serve as a staff to a harpoon 
or boat-hook, or as an extra light spar according to the 
exigencies of the moment. Truly there must have been 
" giants in those days," to wield such a weaver's beam 
as this, bound with long " hoopes of yren." 

As to the action preferred in a fly-rod, even greater dis- 
cordance of opinion is found. One likes a rod stiff as a 
poker for the lower third, and withy for the remainder 
of its length. Another will look at nothing not stiff in 
butt and tip, and sloppy in the middle joint. A third 
must have plenty of action in the butt, and not much 
elsewhere ; a fourth uniform action from the handle to 
the tip, but quite stiff withal ; a fifth the same general 
sj^ring, but great flexibility; and so on to the end of the 
chaptei*. Therefore the writer, when he describes what a 
fly-rod should be, gives but his own personal preference, 
from which many a better angler will dissent. 



103 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

All will admit that comfort in use, efficiency in casting 
the fly, and poAver to control and land the fish after it is 
fastened, are the desiderata ; strength to withstand the 
incidental strain, and elasticity to recover on the removal 
of the deflection caused thereby, being in all cases pre- 
sumed. 

It needs no Sir Isaac Newton to assure us that with 
two rods of equal weight, and respectively ten and twelve 
feet long, the former will occasion far less fatigue than 
the latter; since, while the shorter arm of the lever is 
equal in both cases, the longer arm, which is to do the 
work, is greater in the latter. Nay, further, even though 
the shorter rod exceed in actual weight, still it may re- 
tain its advantage in this respect. 

The importance of this consideration to one who at- 
tempts to cast from early morn to dewy eve, as does 
every fisherman whose days on the stream are few and 
far between, cannot well be exaggerated. Whether the 
latter half of the day shall be a toil or a pleasure, is de- 
termined thereby. 

As to efficiency in casting the fly, certainly none of 
the hundreds who witnessed the fly-casting tournament 
at Central Park, in New York City, on October 16, 1883, 
and saw a fly cast eighty-five feet with a ten-foot rod 
weighing only four and three-eighths ounces, will ques- 
tion the ability of a ten-foot rod of six and a half to 
seven ounces to meet all reasonable expectations in 
this respect. To those who are unfamiliar with these 
events, it may be remarked that the caster stands on a 
platform one foot above the water, built out at a right 
angle to, and about thirty feet distant from the shore. 
The contestants thus cast parallel with the shore, and 
beside a rope supported by small floats placed five feet 



Hods and Hod Material. 103 

apart. To the floats marking each ten .feet, appropri- 
ately numbered tin tags are attached, indicating the dis- 
tance from the edge of the platform. The weight and 
length of each of the competing rods is accurately ascer- 
tained, and the divisions on the rope are verified by the 
judges before the contest takes place. 

The spectators occujjy the bank, while the judges note 
the results from a boat on the other side of the rope, the 
boat being moved to and fro as circumstances require. 
The distance between the edge of the platform and where 
the tail-fly stz'ikes the water is taken as the length of the 
cast. A possible error of eighteen inches in the deter- 
mination of this would be a very liberal allowance. 

Killing power, and the ability to control the move- 
ments of the fish in those delicious moments Avhich sep- 
arate the rise from the capture of the victim, depend 
not on the length, but on the power of the rod; and this, 
other things being equal, must be greater in a ten than 
in a twelve foot rod, since the leverage against the con- 
trolling power is less. 

Induced by these considerations, and confirmed by prac- 
tical experience with rods from twelve feet six inches to 
nine feet eight inches in length, the writer is fixed in the 
belief that ten feet is an ample length for any single- 
handed fly-rod, and that with it any fish of any weight 
within the scope of a single-handed fly-rod, can be as 
successfully enticed and more easily overcome than with 
a rod of greater length. If we add to this the difference 
of comfort in the use of the one over the other, the ques- 
tion may well be asked, why does any one who knows 
his business neglect to avail himself of these manifest ad- 
vantages. Is there no flaw in your premises — no error in 
your conclusions ? Dear reader, I sincerely believe both 



104 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

to be sound; nor can I doubt either, unless at the same 
time I call in question the most elementary principles of 
natural philosophy, and the testimony of my own eyes. 

I believe the sole reason why a rod of over eleven feet 
is to-day found in the hands of any experienced angler 
in this country, is that it became his when the art was 
younger than it now is, or when he Avas younger in it; 
that he has grown accustomed to its use, and that he has 
lacked the opportunity or inclination to tiy, or is un- 
willing to undergo the expense of a shorter and lighter 
rod. 

One advantage, however, should in fairness be accred- 
ited to the longer rod, and, as far as I can learn from the 
teachings of theory and practice, it is the only one. In 
fishing for the small trout of much-fished waters, so hand- 
ling the flies that the droppers just dap upon the surface 
undoubtedly gives the best result. It is clear the length 
of cast can be more varied without losing this advantage 
with a longer, than with a shorter rod. Still, by adjust- 
ing the flies on the leader at somewhat increased inter- 
vals, it is believed that the disadvantage of the shorter 
rod in this respect becomes slight, and by no means sufli- 
cient to offset its other and decided points of superiority. 

Again and again has the writer seen anglers visit the 
Rangely region of Maine (where brook-trout grow to a 
size elsewhere unknown)^ armed with a longer and a short- 
er rod. There, if anywhere, the longer rod should find 
its fitting place, and with the truth of that opinion firmly 
in mind has the new-comer prepared himself. With the 
longer rod he intends to do the greater part of his fish- 
ing, while confining the shorter solely to picking up a 
few of the little fellows on the smaller streams. And 
what is the result? It follows as surely as the wrong- 



Rods and Rod Material. 105 

doer goes from bad to worse. The longer rod is less 
and less frequently used, until it is altogether discarded 
for its shorter rival ; and this not ''• with malice afore- 
thought," but in natural obedience to the logic of events. 

However these things may be, this at least is certain : 
to one escaping but seldom from the weary routine of 
office-work, to swing even a seven-ounce rod all day may 
become a burden, while to him whose muscles are braced 
by abundant exercise and robust health it seems but as 
a feather's weight. The truth is, that there is in this 
matter no hard and fast line where dogmatism may take 
its stand and say, this is right and that is lorong. Let 
each use that rod which to him affords the most ])leasui-e, 
and for him that rod is the best, whether it be forty feet 
long or only two. 

When the fly-rod is under discussion, we not unfre- 
quently hear it ui-ged, as the highest of encomiums, that 
some pai'ticular rod can be so bent with safety that the 
tip will touch the butt. This has a very imposing sound, 
well-calculated to impress the unthinking; but like many 
other statements equally impressive, it will well bear a 
little investigation. If the prime object and sphere of 
usefulness of a fly-rod was to tickle the butt with the 
tip, there would be nothing to be said. But this is not 
the case. To cast the fly with fluency and precision, 
and Avithout a sense of dread in the caster when his line 
exceeds the length of his rod, lest on the back cast he 
fasten his flies in his own ears — this, and the power to 
control at will the course of the struggling fish with an 
implement adequate to any possible emergency, yet im- 
posing on its user not one ounce of superfluous labor — 
these are the desiderata in a fly-rod. Every material 
has its elastic limit. Keep within this, and anything 



106 Flij-roch and Fly-tackle. 

will serve the purpose ; exceed it, and the very best 
fails. A strip of the weakest pine can be so reduced in 
thickness as to successfully pass this vaunted test. It is 
absolutely no indication whatever of the strength and 
elasticity of the material of which a rod is composed, 
unless at the same time its length and calibre are taken 
into the account. To the judicious, therefore, a state- 
ment of this kind not only utterly fails to convince him 
of the excellence of the rod in question, but even raises 
in his mind a strong presumption that every quality of 
real value has been sacrificed, for what he will hardly fail 
to think is a catchpenny purpose. There are good rods 
with which this may be clone, but in my judgment they 
would have been far better, and practically much more 
agreeable and efficient in \ise, had they been given suffi- 
cient " backbone " to render this impossible. I have 
stood upon a boom of logs, and, with a split-bamboo of 
some eight ounces weight, successfully withstood every 
effort of a freshly caught four and a half pound trout, in 
the full vigor of perfect health, to regain the shelter 
from which he had been seduced by the delusive fly. 
The rod bent under, and recovered from each fresh ef- 
fort, as we sometimes see the water-level fluctuate in 
the glass gauge of a steam-boiler — the resistance always 
in exact equilibrium with the pressure upon it. The 
tip never came near the butt, though at times perhaps 
nearly upon the same level; nor was this a very stiff rod, 
nor one with which casting was other than a })leasure. 
The truth is, the ultimate strain which a fish can impose 
is grossly exaggerated in public opinion, as we have en- 
deavored to show elsewhere. A firm, but above all things 
a steady pressure, the most vigorous of them strive in 
vain successfully to resist. The result for some time 



Hods mid Rod Material. , i07 

may fluctuate in the balance, but the angler's pan, acci- 
dents excepted, invariably proves the heavier at last. 

Probably a decent fly-rod will bear with impunity a 
steady strain, considerably in excess of anything under 
which the angler can hold it up. The proximate cause 
why rods fail in actual fly-fisliing is not always free 
from obscurity. The angle which the line bears to the 
rod when the strain is applied, or in other wox'ds the di- 
rection of the strain with relation to the axis of the rod, 
is unquestionably an important factor. If the line and 
the rod form one straight line, the tensile strength of 
the material under a direct pull is alone involved; while, 
if the line and the rod are approximately parallel, the 
strain assumes many of the characteristics of a shock, 
the rod has not time to bend and thus distribute the 
load it cannot bear when localized, and it fails. I was 
fishing with a friend from an extemporized raft anchored 
befoi'e the outlet of a lake, into the mouth of which we 
were casting. It was a time and place for large trout, 
and we had been having fine sport. For some twenty 
minutes we had not had a rise, so we concluded to have 
a quiet smoke, and rest the water for a while. He had 
a rod of my own make, quite new, the butt and middle 
joint of thoroughly tested and approved greenheart. 
He turned to me for some purpose, the rod perpendicu- 
lar, and his fly resting on the w^ater not three feet from 
him. Suddenly a trout, rising in dignity gf size to a 
little whale, rose from under the raft and seized that fly. 
The middle joint shivered as though struck by light- 
ning. It was no transverse strain that could produce 
such a break. The upper part seemed driven down on 
that below it, until at the point of fracture it first split 
the wood, and then scattered it outward in a shower of 



108 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

splinters. It is unnecessary to inform the expert that 
the trout at once unhooked itself and escaped. How 
they almost invariably accomplish this little trick under 
such circumstances, is another of those dark mysteries 
which overshadow our art. 

But not to this, or the like causes, can we attribute 
many of the accidents which fall under the angler's no- 
tice. It is notorious that rods are usually broken on 
small, rather than on large fish, and this, too, after they 
have again and again withstood strains apparently far 
more onerous. Who has not seen a I'od, the pride of its 
owner and the victor in many a hot struggle, fail in some 
part under the mere stress of casting ? Such breaks, as 
far as my observation enables me to speak, are sharply 
transverse, as though the material had been subjected to 
a shearing strain. An effort has been made to account 
for this on the theory that a wave of vibration starting 
from the lower, meets another on the way from the up- 
per part of the rod, and that the shock of the encounter 
is the destructive cause. I cannot say that I have ever 
been able to detect the existence of any such waves. I 
suppose the theory requires them to be something like 
those which meet in the middle of a rope or cloth, 
sharply and simultaneously shaken at both ends. We 
all know the sudden kick, so to speak, to which this gives 
rise, an impulse not perhaps inadequate to produce the 
result in question. Though I have a constitutional dis- 
trust of theories based on uncertain premises, still I am 
unable to suggest any more plausible explanation ; or, 
as yet, to devise any experiment adequate to determine 
its truth or falsity, or point out the actual cause. 

If this theory be sound, then double-actioned rods 
shoiild be more liable to fracture under these circum- 



Eods and Rod Material. 109 

stances than single-actioned rods, and limbei* rods than 
stiff rods — and this I believe to be the fact. I have 
never known it to happen to rods of my make, which 
are of the stiffish single-actioned variety ; still this may 
be due to good-luck, rather than the correctness of their 
principle of construction. 

What material will make the best fly-rod ? 

As to this, too, as indeed in regard to most other im- 
plements of the art, there is considerable difference of 
opinion. 

SPLIT-BAMBOO. 

Q -c- -. (Six-Strip hexagonal, rind outside, 0.9915. 

fcpecinc gravity . ipouj..st,,ip square, rind inside, 0.9678. 

In the estimation of the American fly-fisherman as a 
class, the rent and glued, or as it is now more generally 
termed, the split-bamboo rod, imquestionably ranks first. 

The bamboo may be said to be a production of Asia 
and the contiguous islands, though abundant in South 
America, where some species not indigenous have been 
introduced and now flourish. North of Mexico but one 
native species is found, and the same is true of Africa, 
while Europe has not even one. 

In Col. Moni-oe's monograph on this grass, published 
in the proceedings of the Linnoean Society, vol. xxvi., one 
hundred and seventy distinct species are described, and 
he says there are many more, the flower of which he has 
never seen, and which he is therefore unable to classify. 
For it may be said to be a common, if not general, pecul- 
iarity of this plant, that it flowers but once, and that 
after years of growth, and then dies. This occurs si- 
multaneously through large districts, and is followed by 
the production of an edible seed, which has not unfre- 



110 Fly -rods and Fly-tacMe. 

quently averted a famine among the swarming popula- 
tion of those countries of which it is a native, when 
other crops have been blighted. Notwithstanding the 
length of time which precedes maturity and the pro- 
duction of its flower and seed, its growth is extremely 
rapid. At the seat of the Duke of Devonshire one is 
reported to have grown forty feet in forty days, while 
instances are on record of from two to two and a half 
feet in a single day. But such at least as is generally 
exported is not allowed to attain maturity, but is cut 
annually Avhile still green, the succeeding crojD springing 
up as shoots from the still living roots. 

Which of these many varieties is best adapted to our 
purpose may safely be said to be unknown. Species 
attaining a height of one hundred and fifty feet, a diame- 
ter of fifteen to eighteen inches, and an interval of " sev- 
eral feet " between the nodes or joints, are known. I 
have myself seen varieties of small diameter perfectly 
solid throughout, and as stiif and elastic as tempered 
steel. The veteran rod-maker Mr. William Mitchell, of 
New York City, showed me a solid joint but little less 
than half an inch in diameter planed from a single piece 
of bamboo. A bow" of South American origin came 
into his possession, api:)arently of bamboo, yet colored 
so as to leave this in some doubt. Upon removing the 
exterior this surmise was found to be correct ; and 
though the bow was six feet long, not the slightest in- 
dication of a node or knot could be detected. From 
this he planed the joint in question. While this was 
not as stiff as a hexagonal joint of similar size, made in 
the ordinary manner, w^ould have been, still it was nearly 
if not quite equal to the ordinary run of greenheart, 
and would make most excellent rod material could it 



Rods and Rod Material. 



Ill 



but be had. An experience of my own with large bam- 
boo is mentioned hereafter in this chapter. 

The strength and elasticity of bamboo depends almost 
altogether on the character of its exterior, the inner or 
pithy portion adding but little thereto. In the variety 
commonly used, within perhaps one-sixteenth of an inch 
measured from the outside lie all its virtues. In the 
larger varieties (or at least some of them, as my expe- 
rience proves) this portion is very much thicker, as would 
be expected from the far greater thickness of the walls 
of the cane. If, therefore, rods were made from such 
cane, these Avould possess far greater strength and far 
more stiffness and elasticity than those of the present 
day, if of like dimensions. The diameter and consequent 
weight could then be considerably reduced, not only 
without loss, but still leaving considerable gain in these 
respects. Again, the process of manufacture would be 
much simplified, since the bamboos now used rarely reach 
two inches in diameter at the butt. This renders the 
exterior quite rounding, and it cannot be flattened with- 
out ruining it at the same time. Consequently the cane 
resting on this convex surface tends to roll more or less 
under the cutting tool, affecting the accuracy of the 
angle if not carefully watched. From my own expe- 
rience, I should say that three times the skill was re- 
quired to make a good six-strip joint from bamboo one 
and three-quarter inches in diameter, than from that of 
four or five inches. The waste would also be much less, 
since defects in the cuticle now fatal, would then be of 
comparatively little consequence. 

There are few fields in which more of benefit to the 
angling fraternity may be hoped from investigation 
than this. The burden would seem fairly to fall upon 



113 Fly -rods and Fly-tackle. 

the English poi'tion of the brotherhood, since under their 
flag the investigation must be carried on. If not unrea- 
sonable, it is at any rate useless to expect this from the 
professional rod-maker. He either lacks opportunity, or 
for business reasons keeps his information to himself. 
It is to be hoped that some of the many English gentle- 
men now in India, who are interested in fly-fishing, and 
who may be favorably circumstanced in that vast coun- 
try, will investigate, and give the angling world some 
definite information on this subject. 

Rapid and unceasing as is communication at the pres- 
ent time between the remotest parts of the world, it is 
singular, and not very creditable, how vague is the in- 
formation now obtainable in reference to rod material. 

The variety of bamboo of which split-bamboo fly-rods 
are made, is here known as the " Calcutta bamboo." Its 
botanical name is believed to be Bambusa Arundma- 
cea. From other varieties it may be distinguished by 
the charred marks on its yellow cuticle, without which 
none seems to be imported into this country. If this is 
the variety, it may, if permitted to grow, attain a height 
of from forty to fifty feet, and a diameter of about three 
inches. 

No one in the least familiar with this bamboo can 
have failed to remark these burns, always present yet 
never alike. To the split-bamboo rod-maker they are a 
perfect nuisance, forcing him to reject altogether many 
a cane otherwise excellent. So every one, surprised that 
so much labor should be expended merely, as far as is 
apparent, to injure the cane, naturally asks how and why 
this is done. 

Reasons being as plenty as blackberries, of course 
there is no lack in this case. But that these are not 



Rods and Rod Material. 113 

more consistent than the finding of the coroner's jury, 
that the subject of their deliberations died of consump- 
tion from having been hung for horse-stealing, somewhat 
militates against a perfectly satisfactory conclusion. 

Here are a few samples, assigned by those who said 
they knew all about it: 

1st. It is a religious ceremony. 

2d. They are roasted over a large gridiron to kill the 
larvae of boring insects. 

3d. It is merely for purposes of ornament. 

4th. That the bamboo grows in jungles, matted to- 
gether with all manner of climbing and tenacious vines. 
That before they can be extricated and separated, the 
jungle must be fii-ed to destroy these creepers. 

5th. That the canes are roasted over a gridiron to 
burn off the leaves and creepers attached to them, as the 
most simple and expeditious way to get rid of these. 

6th. That it is done with a hot iron, each cane being 
treated separately, merely to straighten them. 

I have heard others, but these are quite sufficient for 
liberal exercise of personal predilection, my own being 
towards a combination of the reasons numbered 4 and 
6. Definite and positive information on this point from 
personal observation, preparatory to an effort to cause a 
discontinuance of the practice if not absolutely neces- 
sary, is greatly to be desired. 

To any of my readers who, animated by the hope of 
obtaining better material than the open market at pres- 
ent affords, may desire to order a private supply from 
India, I tender the following advice, wishing them bet- 
ter luck therein than has fallen to my lot : Order nothing 
but the butts of the cane, and those of the largest at- 
tainable diameter, and unburned. Insist that they be 



114 Fhj-rods and Fly-tackle. 

split open lengthwise through the leaf-sides of the cane 
before shipment, and that they be carried on the vessel 
lashed under the boats, ar where they will have free 
access of air yet not be exposed to the sun and sea- 
water. 

It is hazardous to say anything is quite impossible, so 
you may succeed in obtaining what you desire; but my 
own experience leads me to believe that you might as 
hopefully try to talk a stone wall out of its place, as the 
inhabitants of that country out of their accustomed meth- 
ods of procedure. 

In the Calcutta bamboo, strength, lightness, and that 
steely spring which is the acme of perfection in a fly- 
rod, are found to a degree unequalled in any other known 
material. But, like most other things in this hollow, 
hollow world, it has its drawbacks. Good bamboo — that 
which may truly be called virtuous in that it possesses 
all the virtues — though not as scarce as hens' teeth, is still 
a rare prize and diflicult to obtain. Mediocritj^ is the 
rule here below, and with mediocrity of greater or less 
degree must the rod-maker be content wdio would use 
this material in quantity. Indeed, either the quality now 
imported has deteriorated Avhen compared to that of say 
seven or eight years ago, or the writer has become much 
more exacting in his choice. While as to JDOor bamboo, 
that Avhich may justly be so called when compared to 
the mediocrity aforesaid (and such is by far the greater 
portion brought to this country), it is — well, the English 
language is impotent to describe, or at all events to ex- 
aggerate, its utter worthlessness for our purpose. Un- 
fortunately there is no test which any dealer would per- 
mit to determine the strength of a split -bamboo rod 
after it is once glued together. It may have hardly the 



liods and Rod Material. 115 

strength of a piece of pine -wood, and yet present a 
perfect exterior. The spring and balance of the rod 
may of course be readily tried, until one is found which 
suits. But as to the strength of material you are com- 
pletely at the mercy of the maker. Therefore, in buy- 
ing a rod of this description go only to a well-known 
maker, or his agent; for both have a reputation to main- 
tain, and will be glad to make good any defect in ma- 
terial. Also, if you do not mind the extra expense, you 
will do well to have two, instead of a single middle joint, 
for this part of the rod is most in danger. 

There is still another objection to bamboo rods. If 
the butt or middle joint is broken, except quite close to 
the ferrules, the break cannot be spliced so as to stand, 
and the usefulness of that joint is at an end. 

Some years ago a vessel from the East Indies dis- 
charged a cargo of sugar at this port. For dunnage to 
the cargo, which was in mats, large bamboos, some even 
six inches through, had been used. When the vessel had 
discharged, these were thrown out upon the dock. A 
friend secured two or three pieces, and gave me one. It 
was the toughest and most elastic bamboo I have ever 
seen. I made one rod from it, placing the rind inside, 
and was so pleased with it that the temptation to make 
one more, and exhaust on it all the skill I possessed, was 
irresistible. Every knot was cut out and the strips 
spliced, so as to secure absolute uniformity of action, 
and when the rod was complete I was satisfied with my 
work. That rod became the bane of my existence. For 
three seasons I stuck to it, uniting the splices again and 
again. Every adhesive substance I could hear of was 
tried ; the splices were carefully wrapped with unwaxed 
silk, and then varnished so as to paste the silk down. 



116 Fly-rods and Fly-tacHe. 

and at the same time swell it and increase the firmness of 
its embrace upon the bamboo. But it was all useless. 
The first fish struck would start some splice, and the rod 
was worthless. Again and again have I spliced bamboo 
joints for friends where accident has occurred at a dis- 
tance from the repair shop, using that most adhesive of 
all glues, "Russian isinglass," but they never stood, nor 
do I think they can be made to stand, for any length of 
time. Bamboo tips, however, may be successfully re- 
paired without difliculty. 

But notwithstanding all this, if you once become pos- 
sessed of a really good bamboo rod, you have the best 
there is — something superior to any wooden rod that can 
be made. 

ASH AND LANCEWOOD. 

specific ,».,., :<^:J.«;'X,.oa35. 

Next in order, through seniority, comes the ash and 
lancewood rod. The butt is of the white-ash — that of 
wide grain, and with the dense intervening portion white 
and bone-like in texture, is the kind available for rods. 
An old billiard-cue is an excellent source from which to 
derive the material. If the grain is either very narrow 
(one-sixteenth of an inch or less) or very wide, the wood 
is apt to be weak. Select that having a grain about one- 
eighth of an inch wide, and nine times out of ten it will 
be good. Anything off the white in color is a bad sign. 
Red-ash is worthless. Any redness in the grain, though 
the more solid portions are of good color, is an unfavor- 
able indication. 

The middle joint and tip are lancewood. This is im- 
ported from the West Indies and South America in poles 
from fifteen to twenty feet long and three to ten inches 



Rods and Rod Material. 117 

in diameter. It is very stiff, strong, and elastic. Its 
quality can l)e quite well judged by its color, that of a 
bright yellow being the best. It works in a kindly man- 
ner under a keen plane, and altogether is an excellent 
material, and the only one, except bamboo, fit for tips in 
single-handed rods. The Cuban lancewood is the best. 

The ash and lancewood rod has gone out of fashion of 
late years, and has fallen in general estimation to a posi- 
tion by no means commensurate with its merits. Some 
still think that, take it all in all, this combination makes 
the best of wooden rods, and it seems to me they are 
not very far wrong. 

I have seen an ash and lancewood rod do the most 
surprising work. 

I was fishing from a boat in Rangely Lake a few years 
since. Just beyond reach of my cast another boat was 
anchored, containing an old gentleman using about a nine- 
ounce rod of this description and a liberal " gob " of 
worms. 

The bottom was plainly visible, and from time to time 
large trout of five pounds and upward lazily swam into 
sight, cruising slowly about in utter indifference to every- 
thing except their own private pursuits. Six and seven 
pounders were common, while one leviathan was a fre- 
quent visitor, which I could not place at less than ten 
pounds. Oh, how my heart went out to him ! 

I was attending to my own affairs, in that frantic 
condition of mind incident to ian occasion when such 
trout are rising freely, but positively decline to acknowl 
edge the slightest acquaintance with such an insect as 
the fly. Again and again my fly would settle in a swir 
like that made by the blade of an oar, and that too be 
fore the fish could have been three feet from the spot, 



118 Fly-rods and Fly-^acMe. 

Every five minutes the fly was changed, ranging from 
the smallest gnat to a good-sized saimon-fly, I tried it 
on the water — under the water — in every way and under 
every condition I could devise, but all in vain. So it may 
reasonably be surmised that peace was not with me. 

Suddenly ray guide exclaimed, "He's got one!" I 
looked. I was at once struck by the perfect curve of 
the rod, which was doubled up to a degree that few 
could regard without apprehension, for the old gentle- 
man clearly was handling his fish " without gloves." 
Momentarily I expected to see it break. But no ; ten — 
fifteen minutes — half an hour passed — and still the rod 
triumphed over that fearful strain, while the fish seemed 
as fresh as ever. At last a boy climbed a tree overhang- 
ing the bank and not twenty feet distant from the boat. 
No sooner had he reached his perch and taken in the 
situation, than he shouted, "Why he's got him by the 
tail !" For at least an hour the struggle lasted, and 
when, after landing his trout, the old gentleman passed 
me on his way home, I asked him if I might see it. It 
weighed seven pounds by my own tested scales, and 
there, sure enough, about three inches in front of the tail 
and on the right side was the wound of the hook. Per- 
mission having been granted to examine the rod, no sign 
could be detected of the fearful ordeal through which it 
had passed. 

If the amount you feel willing to pay for a rod be 
limited, an ash and lancewood rod is the safest invest- 
ment ; but select one in which the ash is white and of 
wide grain, and the lancewood yellow and free from 
bluish stains. If, however, the rod is colored, as is fre- 
quently the case, you cannot judge of this ; then you 
must rely on the maker, and should buy only from the 



Bods and Rod Material. 



119 



maker, and from one who has a reputation to sustain. 
You will 2)robably have to pay a dollar or two more, but 
you will get your money's worth. This remark holds 
good, and cannot be too strongly emphasized in regard 
to all fishing-tackle. 

These bluish stains so frequently seen in lancewood 
seem not to be inherent in the tree, but to be due to 
faulty treatment in seasoning. They arise from storing 
the logs in a close, damp locality, and indicate inferior 
elasticity and strength. 

CEDAR. 
Specific gravity, 0.6396. 

We will next consider cedar as a material. 

Such cedar as is.used in lead-pencils is worthless for 
our purpose. The rod-cedar is darker in color, harder, 
heavier, stronger, and much stiffer. I have never been 
able to find it at the wood-dealers in the vicinity of New 
York, and am inclined to believe that if it is used at all 
in the arts, it is so but sparingly. 

Certainly a rod well proportioned from one of those 
old logs which have lain buried for centuries, possibly, 
in the morasses of Florida, for lightness and promptness 
of action cannot be excelled. Strain it as you will short 
of the breaking point, it will take no set, nor will any 
change in its feel show that its powers have been over- 
taxed. But it is the weakest of all material used for 
that purpose, and only fit for a dilettante angler who 
fishes open water where there is no danger of a foul on 
his back cast, and who is ever on his guard to give the 
fish no opportunity to strike his fly when the rod is ap- 
proaching the perpendicular. For a rod of this wood 
the ferrules should be considerably larger than for the 
preceding. 



120 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

MAHOE. 

Specific gravity, 0.660Y. 

For this wood I have quite a predilection, not shared, 
it must be confessed, by the majority of those who have 
used it. It is a native of Cuba, grows to a considerable 
size, and is there used for the springs of their peculiar 
two-Avheeled vehicle the " volante." In color it closely 
resembles black-walnut — indeed it might well be mis- 
taken for that wood by a cabinet-maker. But when var- 
nished and rubbed down, faint narrow lines transverse 
to the length appear, such as sometimes may be seen on 
fine violin bows, giving the wood a beautiful appearance 
and distinguishing it at once from black-walnut. Next 
to cedar it is the lightest generally known rod material, 
and requires ferrules of like size. The general complaint 
against it may be formulated thus: if you can get a joint 
of mahoe that will stand, you have a fine thing, but its 
strength is very uncertain, and only to be determined in 
the field. This criticism we think, hardly fair. If the 
grain is perfectly straight, a good firm pressure in each 
of the four directions when the joint is tapered and in 
the square, Avill disclose its strength or lack of strength. 
Protecting myself by this precaution, I have used mahoe 
with great satii^faction and Avithout accident, both in the 
streams of the Middle States and in the heavier fishing 
of Maine. Though certainly far stronger than cedar, still 
the best of it has not the strength of good ash or lance- 
Avood of like dimensions ; but this is, in a measure at 
least, made good by the larger diameter which the rod 
may and should receive. 

Its virtues are an attractiA^e appearance, promptness 
of action, lightness, and indifference to moisture. Those 
who so laud the action of a cedar rod should be pleased 



Rods and Rod Material. 131 

with that of mahoe, since the resemblance of the two in 
this respect is so marked that many place them on an 
equal footing. 

Tips should be of lancewood, or, better still, split- 
bamboo. 

HICKORY. 
Specific gravity, 0.7963. 

This wood may be said to have gone entirely out of 
fashion in this country, though still in favor in England, 
where it has for many years been held in high esteem. 
Its great strength is well known and freely admitted, 
but at the same time it is charged with being " logy " in 
action. But this, while generally quite true, is not uni- 
versally so, since hickory joints which would please the 
most fastidious are by no means unknown. It would 
also seem that this difference may be accounted for and 
guarded against, and this in the following manner: 

A second -growth tree of the "shag-bark" variety 
should be selected, which has grown in an exposed situ- 
ation and not in a forest. For trees are like men, a 
hardy middle-age following a youth of vigorous struggle. 
In an open pasture, or on a knoll exposed to the keen 
blasts of winter, weakling trees j^erish in their infancy, 
and only the most vigorous attain their growth. As the 
child whose every muscle has been in daily use devel- 
ops into a vigorous man, so a tree so situated strength- 
ens its fibres and improves their elasticity by its daily 
struggle with the elements. Having found a tree so lo- 
cated, its character may be safely presumed. It must 
then be cut either in December or January, when the sap 
is entirely out of the wood, otherwise no amount of sea- 
soning seems to impart the required elasticity. 

As soon as cut, the white portion of the wood must be 



123 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

sawn into square sticks of the desired length and size. 
These should then be immersed in fresh water from six 
to eight weeks. For the cells, though free from sap, 
still contain the starch, etc, to furnish the first growth 
of the ensuing spring. Water soaking removes this, and 
it is conceded by all the authorities that w^ood so used 
seasons sooner and becomes lighter than if otherwise 
treated. All kiln-drying or boiling of the wood is in- 
jurious. 

When this process is complete, the wood can and should 
be straightened, if this is required. Two courses are then 
open : first, to pile the sticks in a criss-cross manner, cov- 
er them with boards, and pile stones thereon, and leave 
them to season; or second, to hang them up, each separate- 
ly, and by one end, so that the air may have free access to 
all sides. The latter is the more speedy method. In the 
former case weighting the boards is to prevent season- 
crooks, which always tend to cause the wood to curve 
from the heart. These almost invariably will show them- 
selves, if permitted, and are quite persistent, tending to 
recur notwithstanding straightening by heat, if present 
when the wood is seasoned. If the latter method is fol- 
lowed, the sticks should be handled frequently, and such 
as are found crooked should be straightened, and given a 
slight bend in the opposite direction. Thus they may be 
compelled to dry perfectly straight. 

The seasoning must be carried on out of the sun and 
rain, and with free access of air. Why rain should be 
avoided is obvious. If exposed to the sun, season-cracks 
will appear in the wood to its utter ruin. 

In Hough's " Elements of Forestry " is given a table 
of the percentage of moisture in wood, at six, twelve, 
eighteen, and twenty-four months. From this it appears 



Hods and Bod Material. 123 

that little, if anything, is gained by seasoning wood over 
eighteen months. All woods are hygroscopic, absorbing 
water from the atmosphere. Some, after the period speci- 
fied, actually gained in weight by absorption of moisture, 
while others, though they continued to part with it, did 
so but very slowly. The difference in weight between 
green and perfectly dry hickory is therein stated to be 
nearly one-third. 

These remarks apply equally to seasoning all domestic 
woods, and are here made once for all. 

An ash butt and lancewood tip will work well with 
hickory; or if the butt joint is to be of the latter, use a 
handle of lighter wood, say butternut. 

IROXWOOD. 
Specific gravity, 0.8184. 

This wood has as many different local names as the 
black bass. It is known as l)arwood, leverwood, and 
hornbeam. Norris gives its botanical name as Carpinus 
ostrya — and the Government Book on Forestry, as Os- 
trya virginica. In appearance it closely resembles dog- 
wood. The sapwood resembles ash in color, the heart 
having a reddish tinge like red-ash. Both seem equal in 
merit. Two varieties are known, the one having a smooth 
bark without fissures is inferior. Tlie other has a thin 
yellowish gray bark, with abundant shallow fissures, but 
otherwise rather smooth, and this latter is the tree from 
which the wood used for rod-making should be taken. 

It prefers damp places, and grows from Canada to the 
Gulf. Further description, with illustrations of leaf and 
flower, may be found in the American Encyclopedia, ai'ti- 
cle " Hornbeam." It was a special favorite of Mr. Thad- 
deus Norris, author of " The American Angler," who 



124 Fly-rods ami Fly-tackle. 

highly extolled its merits; and unquestionably it is one 
of the best of native woods for onr purpose. But it 
must be selected, and cut as directed under the head of 
"Hickory," or it will be worthless. I have some iron- 
wood cut fourteen years ago, and then sawn into strips 
about one-third of an inch square. It was felled in June, 
otherwise the conditions were all followed, and to this 
day it is not fit to put in a rod. 

The tree is small, eight or nine inches being the limit 
of its diameter, and apt to be crooked and knotty. But 
with patience, material fit for rods can be found almost 
anywhere in the country. 

Ironwood is very strong, not over heavy, and at its 
best is sufliciently elastic; and if really choice, will pro- 
duce an excellent rod when combined with lancewood, 
or, better still, split-bamboo tips. But if in craving after 
lightness, as is now the fashion, you are niggardly in 
material, your rod will be slow and withy, and lack that 
nervous promptness of action without which a fly-rod is 
like a counterfeit five-dollar bill. It will not bear to be 
reduced to the calibre of lancewood, greenheart, or beth- 
abara. 

It breaks with a long splintering fracture. This can 
be taken advantage of, and its strength and elasticity 
greatly improved by the following method of manu- 
facture : Color one end of the stick, for which purpose 
ink Avill answer ; then saw it into four strips about a 
quarter of an inch square. Plane them up and glue them 
a in pairs, so the ends will appear thus : ^™ — . 

then face up the side, a, of both pairs ^1 I 
Y and glue them together in the way rep- « 
^ ' resented in Fig. 32. Straighten them ^'"•^^• 
Fig. 32. while the glue is warm, when they will bend 



Rods and Bod Material. 135 

like lead, and all season-crooks can be taken out once for 
all. Now plane in your taper, touching only the sides, 
a and h, until you have quite finished them, for you can 
then see the glue line, c d, and so work the surfaces, a 
and h, as to keep that line central. Then finish the taper 
by working off the sides, c and d. Use every precaution to 
keep the intersection of the lines, a b and c d, in the mid- 
dle of the joint. If your glue joints are as they should 
be, they ought to be almost invisible ; and this may 
bother you, since they are your only guide. Therefore, 
if you do not object to having the glue line appear on 
the finished rod, rub the glue sides, before you apply the 
glue, with red chalk. This will not injure, but rather in- 
crease the tenacity of the glue. 

Remember to use glue that has never been melted be- 
fore, and without the admixture of any old glue what- 
ever. Soak it in cold water during the night before it 
is to be used. You will find it in the morning much 
swollen and flabby, and in this condition you should melt 
it without adding further water. 

It will be noticed that by this method the direction 
of the would-be lines of fracture cross one another, and 
that a break in a joint so made must occur, not in the 
natural direction, but directly across the fibre. Thus 
results a great gain both in strength and elasticity. 
This is decidedly the best way to make an ironwood rod. 
Wrap with silk, as though the rod were of split-bamboo. 

One precaution the ironwood rod requires beyond 
every other — water must be excluded, or it becomes 
leaden and soggy at once. Nothing but the best coach- 
body varnisli, and plenty of it, should be applied to such 
a rod, and one coat at least should precede any wrap- 
pings. 



126 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

GREENHEART. 

«„»„;«„ „„„„;f,. f Dark-colored, 1.0908. 
Specific gravity: -j Light-colored, 0.9643. 

This wood is a native of the West Indies and Soutli 
America, though our supply comes principally from 
Demarara in British Guiana, often through England. It 
is a tree of large size, yielding timbers from twenty-four 
to fifty feet long, and from twelve to twenty-four inches 
square. The wood is dense in grain and heavy, some 
specimens dark as the darkest black-walnut, and others 
of a yellowish brown or light snuff-color — a difference 
which does not seem to affect the strength and elasticity 
of the wood. It is very strong and elastic, is unaffected 
by moisture, and takes a very attractive finish. In my 
opinion it takes the first place among rod-woods. 

Some complain of it as treacherous, but I have not 
found it so. Indeed it may well be questioned whether 
upon close investigation this fault, so freely charged 
against more than one rod material, should not more just- 
ly be attributed to negligence on the part of the maker. 
Before any wood of any and eveiy kind is ennobled by 
conversion into a fly-rod, its fitness can and should be 
thoroughly tested. When the proposed joint is still in 
the square, and after the taper has been planed in, a 
strong bend should be given it towards each of the four 
sides. If it breaks, be thankful that it failed in the shop 
and not in actual battle ; and on the jirineiple that it is 
better for a fire-arm to burst in the proving-room than 
in the hands of its owner, congratulate yourself as one de- 
livered from danger. Also, if it " sets " — that is, does not 
recover its former straightness when the strain is removed 
— reject it till time and further seasoning remedy this. 
To one with but limited time to devote to the amuse- 



Bods and Rod Material. 137 

ment of rod-making, and who has arranged his affairs, pos- 
sibly with inconvenience, that he may have a little leisure 
to devote to this, I know the temptation is great to use 
material which does not altogether meet his approval — 
particularly if none other be at hand. But he who yields 
to temptation must expect the incident retribution, and 
this will prove no exception to the rule. 

Greenheart files, scrapes, turns, and planes well, but 
like most other rod -woods a keen tool is required. 
Shavings of this wood from the plane have nothing of 
the usual ribbon-like character, but crumble during their 
formation, as if the wood was very deficient in tenacity. 
But such is not the case. 

It may be bought in the plank at from thirty to fifty 
cents a foot, board measure, at almost any of the dealers 
in hardwood in Centre Street, New York City. But 
unless personally selected, knots, crooked grain, season- 
cracks, and other defects will greatly increase the cost 
of such portions as may be available. Such planks as I 
have seen have been from ten to eighteen feet long, one 
and a quarter inches thick, and from twelve to twenty 
inches wide. The whole plank selected must be taken, the 
dealers refusing to cut it. If to this is added the fact 
that one -half waste is a very moderate loss indeed, it 
will probably be more satisfactory to send for it to one 
of those houses that make a specialty of supplying ama- 
teurs with material. The price demanded may seem 
severe when compared with the cost in plank, but this 
is more apparent than real. You may then expect 
selected and seasoned wood, and may safely conclude 
that for every stick you receive, the seller has bought 
and thrown into the scrap-heap waste sutiicieut to make 
three or four. Of course this loss, together with inter- 



128 Fly-vods and Fly-tackle. 

est on money idle during the seasoning process, must be 
charged upon that which is merchantable, in addition to 
its first cost. 

If the before-mentioned test be applied as directed, I 
confidently recommend this wood for the amateur's first 
efforts in rod-making, but for butts and middle joints 
only. Though sometimes employed for that purpose, I 
think it too heavy for tips. A trifling increase of weight 
at that part makes a serious and disagreeable difference 
in the feel and action of the rod, as might be expected 
the moment its distance from the hand and consequent 
leverage is considered. Also, for the handle of such a 
rod a lighter wood should be employed, such as ash, but- 
ternut, or sumach. This may easily be arranged, either 
by boring into the handle at least the whole length of 
the grasp, and gluing the greenheart butt-joint there- 
in, or by 2^1acing a ferrule immediately above the han- 
dle. The latter, for reasons hereafter stated, I believe 
to be the best construction for any rod of any material. 

BETIIABARA. 
Specific gravity, 1.2140. 

The merits of this wood have been more highly ex- 
tolled than any other. That it may be worked -^^ of an 
inch thinner than split - bamboo, and have the same 
strength and better action ; also that a rod made from 
it will cast a line ten feet farther than any rod made 
from split-bamboo of the same calibre, are perhaps fair 
samples of the claims urged in its behalf. 

If all this is true, here is the long sought substitute 
for split-bamboo. When the difficulty of obtaining good 
material for the latter, the greater skill and time required 
in its manufacture, the practical impossibility of altering 



Rods and Rod Matericd. 139 

its action if unsatisfactory, or of repairing a break, are 
considered, certainly this is "a consummation devoutly 
to be wished " by all, except, perhaps, the makers of that 
form of rod. 

My own experience, confined, however, to two butts 
and four middle joints (used with split -bamboo tips), 
does not confirm tljese statements. 

The wood of these rods was selected with great care, 
not only for the express purpose of determining its merits 
as far as so limited a test would permit, but also with an 
earnest desire to find it at least equal if not superior to 
the split-bamboo. 

In this I was disappointed. 

Of two joints of equal diameter and length, that of 
six-strip split-bamboo was considerably the stiffer, and 
weighed about one-third less ; or in other words, the 
same power to cast a fly and control a fish could be ob- 
tained from a hexagonal split -bamboo of considerably 
smaller diameter, and probably, exclusive of ferrules, of 
little more than half the weight. 

It has unquestionably great strength, fully equal to, 
perhaps somewhat in excess of, the average hexagonal 
split-bamboo of the same diameter; but if the bamboo is 
of really good quality, I cannot accord bethabara any 
superiority m this respect. 

As compared with good greenheart, about the same 
elasticity was found. No superiority in stiffness, which 
would permit the bethabara to be worked to a less di- 
ameter and retain equal power, could be detected. In 
strength it might, perhaps, average a little better, but its 
greater Aveight would seem to offset this, since the green- 
heart being the lighter wood could be made thicker. 

On the whole, contrary to my earnest desire, the con- 



130 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

elusion was forced upon me that in this material no suc- 
cessful rival of first-class siDlit-bamboo was to be found. 
That it is the equal of good greenheart in every respect 
except slightly greater weight, possibly with some slight 
advantage in strength, was the opinion formed, and it is 
believed to be just. 

Beyond that bethabara is a native of a hot climate, and 
grows from three to three and a half feet in diameter 
and twenty feet to the first branch, I have been able to 
acquire no certain information of its origin or growth. 
It is supposed to be, like greenheart, a native of British 
Guiana, and there known as Wasahba, "bethabara " be- 
ing a " fancy " name. 

Some think it a variety of greenheart, but he who has 
worked the two woods will hesitate to accept this opinion. 
It resembles greenheart in color, but still Avith a differ- 
ence easily seen on close inspection, though difficult to 
describe. It is denser in grain, more bony in texture, 
and requires a sharper tool to work it. It has the pe- 
culiarity of depositing a gummy substance on the edge 
of the plane blade, producing the effect of dulness, which 
must at short intervals be removed on the oil-stone be- 
fore the plane will resume its cut. When under the 
plane a yellow powder, closely resembling pulverized 
gamboge in appearance, is profusely deposited on the 
bench and tools, as well as on the hands and person of the 
worker. This instantly turns a strong salmon color in 
contact with soap and water, due doubtless to the action 
of the alkali in the former. Its shavings have nothing 
of the crumbling character of those of greenheart, from 
which all the foregoing marked peculiarities distinguish it. 

Though amenable to the plane, turning- tool, file, and 
scraper, it must be considered difficult and disagreeable 



Rods and Bod Material. 131 

to work — more so than any rod-making material, except 
possibly split-bamboo. 

For a rod 10 to 10|^ feet long, 7 to 8 ounces in weight, 
handle 12 to 14 inches long, of lighter wood, female fer- 
rules as follows (measured inside) are recommended by 
that house to whom we are indebted for its name, and 
introduction to the notice of the anglers of this country: 

Female ferrule uniting butt and second joint, 10-^ to 
11 thirty-seconds of an inch. 

Female ferrule uniting second joint and tip, 6^ to 7 
thirty-seconds of an inch. 

Heavy bass fly-rod, 12 and 8 thirty-seconds of an inch. 

Though it is sometimes used for tips, its usefulness in 
that position may well be questioned, for the reason 
stated under " Greenheart." 

Assuming for the present that this wood is identical 
with that mentioned by many travellers in the Guianas 
as " Washiba," " Washeba," and " Wasahba," it is there 
a common tree, growing to the height of one hundred 
and ten feet. It is also locally known as " Bow-wood," 
and is used by the Indians for their bows and war-clubs. 
It is also well known in England, and there used for 
fly-rods and bows. 

Further experience with this wood, had since the fore- 
going was written, inclines me to believe that I have 
done full justice to, if I have not somewhat exaggerated 
its merits. I do not now think it, in any respect what- 
ever, superior to good greenheart, while it is considera- 
bly heavier, 

SNAKEWOOD. 

Specific gravity, 1.3718. 
This wood is also a native of the Guianas. It is called 
" Bourra-courra " by the natives, with whom it is a fa- 



132 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

voi'ite bow-wood. Almost all travellers in these colo- 
nies mention and describe the powerful bows carried 
by the natives, and the skill with which they are used. 
These accounts extend at intervals for over one hundred 
years, beginning with Captain Stedman's narrative of an 
expedition to Surinam, in 1772-1776. From these it ap- 
jiears the natives use for this purpose either purpleheart, 
washiba, or snakewood. Captain Stedman thus de- 
scribes this tree: 

" The bourra-courra or brazil grows to between thirty 
and forty feet high, but not very thick, with a reddish 
bark. The heart only of this tree is valuable after the 
white pithy part is cut away, though then much reduced. 
The wood is as truly beautiful as it is useful, the color 
being a fine cx'imson, variegated with irregular and fan- 
tastical black sjDOts, from which by the French it is 
called bois-de-lettres. It is heavy, hard, and capable of 
taking a brilliant polish." 

The name of snakewood arose from the resemblance 
this wood bears to the skin of the more highly-colored 
snakes, just as the French name was given because of 
the fancied resemblance of the irregular black spots to 
letters. It is not unfrequently called "Letterwood" by 
English writers. Captain Stedman's description cannot 
be improved, except that the ground-tint of the wood, 
as seen in this country at least, is a reddish brown rather 
than crimson. It has been well known in this country 
for a long time, and is esteemed to be the most beautiful 
of all the fancy woods, as it is the most expensive. It 
is imported in billets of various lengths and up to about 
nine or ten inches in diameter, the sapwood having 
been first removed. The market price is from sixteen to 
twenty cents a pound, being sold by weight and not by 



Rods and Rod Material. 133 

measure. It has been sparingly used for fly-rod making, 
but chiefly for bows, and sometimes for violin bows. 

It is extremely hard and close-grained, indeed were it 
not for the ease with which it splits, it might be supposed 
to have no grain at all. It has abundant elasticity and 
strength, its excessive weight and high first cost being 
the only objections to its use. No other material ap- 
proximates to it in beauty, but it should be emj^loyed 
only in butts in combination with a handle of lighter 
wood, and in middle joints. Its great weight renders it 
unfit for tips. 

BEEFWOOD, 
Specific gravity, 1.3090. 

This -vyood seems generally to be identified with the 
beefwood or she -oak of Australia. But I believe this 
to be a mistake, and for the following reasons :. first, 
the she -oak is described as a tree about eighteen feet 
high and twelve inches in diameter, a size utterly inade- 
quate to furnish planks of the width common in this 
market ; second, I have seen an aflidavit in the posses- 
sion of a dealei', accompanying an invoice of this wood, 
which declared that it was a native of the Guianas and 
from the bullet-tree — called by travellers by that name, 
as well as " Bullit-tree " and "Bully-tree," supposed to 
be a corruption of the native name, " Ballata." The 
botanical name is Achras ballata. 

This tree grows to a height of sixty feet and more, 
and is often six feet in diameter. The bark is gray 
and smooth. 

Beefwood is well known in this market. I have seen 
it only in planks, of various lengths and up to twenty 
inches in width. It is as hard as snakewood, very 
heavy, strong, and elastic. The wood is red in color. 



134 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

resembling the lean of the boiled salt-beef of the sailors. 
It has been used in this country for bows, but the deal- 
ers say it is principally employed for making violin bows, 
to the wood of the red and more usual variety of which 
it certainly bears the closest resemblance. 

It has been sparingly used for fly-rods. Though I 
have worked this w^ood for other purposes, I have never 
either made, or seen a rod which w as made from it. But 
aside from its great weight, which is but little less than 
that of snakewood, I should think it would serve well 
for butts and middle joints, if these were arranged as 
suggested under the head of snakewood. Its market 
price is from twenty to twenty-five cents a square foot. 

PADDLEWOOD. 
Specific gravity, 0.8363. 

This wood is another native of British Guiana. It is 
thei-e known among the English-speaking portion of'that 
community by the name given above and as "Roller- 
wood," and among the natives as " Yarura" or "Massara." 

This wood was first called to my attention by Mr. H. 
L. Leonard, the well-known rod-maker, and subsequently 
by Mr. A. N. Cheney. To the latter and Mr. Charles F. 
Orvis I am indebted for a specimen. It is a large tree, 
attaining a height of eighty feet and a diameter of five 
to six feet. The trunk presents a singular appearance, 
as though composed of a central mass from which radi- 
ated a number of flanges six to eight inches wide, and 
about two and a half inches thick, thus closely resem- 
bling a coarse cog-wheel. From these flanges the na- 
tives make their paddles; hence the name. One traveller 
describes it as appearing as though a number of small 
trees had grown together, and that this extends the en- 



Hods and Bod Material. 135 

tire length of the trunk. It is well known, being men- 
tioned by most travellers who have recorded their expe- 
riences in that country. The wood resembles lancewood 
somewhat in appearance, but is deeper in tint, inclining 
to a salmon or flesh color, and is neither so close in the 
grain nor so hard. 

All authorities unite in assigning to it great strength 
and elasticity, while some say that it possesses these 
qualities in a degree unequalled by any other material 
not exceeding it in weight. 

BOis d'aec. 
Specific gravity, 0.9690. 

This wood is a native of the South-M^estern portion of 
the United States. It is also called " Bodock," obviously 
a corruption of the above, as well as the " Osage-orange," 
from the combined facts that it produces an inedible 
orange-like fruit, and that it was first noticed by French 
Canadian trappers in the country of the Osage Indians. 
These Indians employed it for bow-making, whence the 
name first given. Though it will live anywhere south 
of New York, and is not uncommon elsewhere, still it 
attains its maximum development in Texas, Arkansas, 
and the Indian Territory. There it attains a height of 
from fifty to seventy feet, and a diameter of from three 
to four feet. When growing alone it branches rather 
close to the ground, but when shaded, shoots upward 
towards the light, as do other forest-trees, and then the 
branches start at a somewhat greater height. The bo- 
tanical name is Machura aurantica. 

The wood resembles locust closely in appearance, be- 
ing yellow, hard, and extremely durable and elastic. It 
is much prized for wagon-building. The sapwood should 



136 Fly-rods and Fly-tacUe. 

not be used, since it does not possess the merits of the 
inner portion. It may be safely accepted as a general 
rule, that anything which will make a good bow will 
make a good rod. 

I have never seen a rod made from this wood, but the 
fact that the Osages used it for their bows, coupled with 
the recommendation of that most excellent and Avell- 
known angler and writer, Mr. A. N. Cheney (to whom I 
am indebted for calling it to my attention), together with 
the appearance of the wood itself, encourage me to hope 
that here we may find a domestic material equal, if not 
superior, to most of the foreign woods. 

In " Trees of America," by D. J. Brown, it is de- 
scribed in substance as follows : The Machura aurantica 
in its natural habitat is a beautiful deciduous tree, usual- 
ly growing to a height of twenty-five to thirty feet, with 
a trunk from twelve to eighteen inches in diameter: but 
in very favorable situations it sometimes attains double 
these dimensions. The branches, which are covered with 
a grayish bark, are armed with spines. The leaves are 
broad, two to four inches long, oval, with a pointed end, 
smooth, and of a bright shining green. The spines are 
rather strong and an inch or more in length. The flow- 
ers produced in April or May are inconspicuous and 
nearly green, with a slight yellow tinge. The fruit ma- 
tures in Pennsylvania in September or October, and is of 
the size and appearance of a large Seville orange with a 
rough warty surface. 

"The wood of the Machura is of a bright yellow 
color, somewhat resembling the fustic, and like the wood 
of that tree, it is said, affords a yellow dye. It is solid, 
heavy, durable, uncommonly fine - grained, and elastic ; 
and on account of the latter property it is used for 



JRods and Bod Material. 137 

bows by all the tribes of Indians of the region where it 
abounds. When wrought it receives a beautiful polish, 
of the appearance and brilliancy of satin wood." 

SHADBLOW. 
Specific gravity, 0.8620. 
This shrub is known also as Juneberry, Serviceberry 
Shadbush, and Wild -plum. It grows throughout the 
Eastern and Middle States and Canada. Its botanical 
name is Amelanchier canadensis. Its blossoms precede 
its leaves in April or May, about the time the shad 
ascend the rivers, whence one of its names ; while an- 
other is due to the fact that its edible fruit ripens in 
June. Many varieties are found, differing in size from 
a mere bush to a small tree of thirty or forty feet in 
height. The wood greatly resembles the outer wood of 
the hornbeam in color and texture, being quite white and 
close-grained. It is very strong and tough, but inclined 
like hornbeam to be " logy" — i.e., not very prompt to re- 
cover when bent; still I have seen one rod made from it 
throughout by Mi-. William Mitchell of this city, which 
seemed about as good as a rod could be, the prompt- 
ness of action of which left nothing to be desired. My 
personal experience of this wood is confined to an exam- 
ination of this rod and quite a number of specimens of 
the wood in the square. From these I should judge 
there was an unusual difference in the stiffness and elas- 
ticity of different samples, which may be partly due to 
the many varieties which occur; also that, though occa- 
sionally better may be had, still the general run of this 
rod material would require pretty good -sized ferrules 
and a liberal allowance of timber if other than a withy 
rod were desired. 



138 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

We are indebted, I believe, to Judge F, J. Fitch for 
calling attention to this wood. He speaks of it as fol- 
lows, in the American Angler of June 24, 1882: " Of the 
various woods that I have used I prefer Amelanchier. 
Its strength, lightness, and springiness are all in its favor, 
but great care must be taken in selecting it. The tree 
should grow where it is exposed to the sun and light — 
not in a dense wood or thicket. It should be straight- 
grained and free from knots. It is difficult, nay almost 
impossible, to find one growing straight. If the stick is 
good in all other respects I do not mind one or more 
curves. Such sticks I saw out with a narrow saw, fol- 
loAving the grain of the wood. This I do while the wood 
is yet green. I lasb, or with doubled-pointed tacks se- 
cure, each stick to a straight board or plank, and when they 
have seasoned one or two years they come out straight." 

Three hundred different varieties of hard woods grow 
within the United States. Of this great number the hick- 
ory, ash, hornbeam, shadblow, and osage - orange, cannot 
be the only ones adapted to fly-rod making, nor is it prob- 
able they are the best. It is the duty of every man who 
aspires to be called an angler, to do what lies in his way 
to advance the art. It is desirable that anglers should 
bear this in mind ; and when opportunity serves, seek 
out and make known any new material likely to prove 
useful. The field is certainly of sufficient magnitude to 
promise ample reward for any labor bestowed on inves- 
tigation — always assuming that the well-deserved thanks 
of the angling fraternity may be considered in the light 
of a reward. 

To facilitate identification, it may be further remarked 
that this shrub also bears the local names of Wild-pear, 
Sugar-plum, and Shad-flower. In favorable localities it 



Rods and Rod Material. \m 

attains a diameter of from ten to twelve inches. The 
wood is white throughout. Its leaves are from two to 
three inches long, alternate, a lengthened oval in shape, 
finely-toothed, veined on the under side, and when be- 
ginning to open are covered with a thick down. This 
subsequently disappears, leaving them perfectly smooth 
on both sides. The flowers are white, rather large, and 
disposed in panicles at the ends of the branches. The 
fruit is globular, about a quarter of an inch in diameter, 
red when immature, dark purple when ripe, and covered 
with a bloom. 

The foregoing is believed to include most of the ma- 
terials which have been used for fly-rod making in this 
country. The Alaska cedar has recently received some 
attention for this purpose. I have seen but one speci- 
men of it, and that in the square. It was white in color 
and seemed to be somewhat heavier and harder than Flor- 
ida cedar. It is reputed to have the same action, and some- 
what greater strength. 

Reports of rods made all in one piece, without any 
joints, from a stick split from a small, tough spruce, have 
reached me, and these were said to be excellent. But I 
have never seen them. 



ADDITIONAL WOODS. 
The following woods would appear well worthy of 
the attention of the rod -maker. The information is 
collated from "Timber and Timber Trees" (Laslett, 
London, 1875) and "The Forests and Gardens of South 
India" (Cleghorn, London, 1859). The author of the 
former was timber inspector to the Admiralty, which 



140 Fly -rods and Fly-tacMe. 

sufficiently vouches for his opportunities for, and the 
reliability of, his investigations. The latter was con- 
servator of forests, Madras Presidency. 

The character of the tables which Mr, Laslett gives 
would Seem to enable the reader to form a very correct 
judgment of the comparative value of the different woods 
therein mentioned for our purpose, the more so since 
greenheart is included therein ; and this, as previously 
stated, I believe to be, if in perfection, the best of the 
generally known rod- woods. 

The transverse strengths were ascertained by support- 
ing a piece of wood two inches square upon two edges 
placed six feet apart. A receptacle was suspended from 
it midway between these points, and into this water was 
gradually introduced to the weight of three hundred and 
ninety pounds. The deflection in inches was then noted. 
The weight was then removed and the resulting deflec- 
tion (or set) taken. From this we can well judge two 
important factors which go to make a good fly-rod mate- 
rial — its stiffness and power of recovery. Next comes 
the deflection in inches at the breaking point ; then the 
weight required to break each piece in pounds is given; 
then the specific gravity from which we may compare 
the weights; and finally the weight requii-ed to break 
one squai-e inch. In each case a number of specimens, 
usually six, were tested. In Mr. Laslett's book each de- 
termination is separately given, and an average deduced 
therefrom. In the table presented hereafter these av- 
erages only are given, stating in the first column from 
how many separate experiments the given average was 
determined. For convenience of comparison all the de- 
terminations are presented in a single table, rather than 
in detached form under each separate wood. 



Eods and Rod Material. 



141 



PYENGADU. 

This wood is a native of Burmah. It is also called 
the Ironwood-tree, and is the Ingazylocarva of the bot- 
anists. It is a sj^ecies of acacia, of straight growth. It 
grows to a height of seventy or eighty feet without a 
branch, and of corresj^onding diameter, and yields logs 
even up to thirty inches .square and of great length. The 
wood is of a reddish-brown color, hard, heavy, tough, 
strong, rigid, and frequently possesses some figure in the 
grain, which has the appearance of being both waved 
and twisted ; its pores are filled with a remarkably thick, 
glutinous, oily substance " which oozes out upon the sur- 
face after the wood has been worked, leaving a clammi- 
ness which cannot be completely got rid of until the 
piece is thoroughly seasoned. This oily substance has 
probably a preservative property about it, and may be 
conducive to the durability of the timber." 

Mr. Laslett quotes from Lieut,-col. 11. W. Blake in ef- 
fect, that it is one of the largest trees in Burmah, and 
combines in itself the properties of wood and iron. It 
is heavier than water and more indestructible than iron. 
Time and exposure seem to harden it, since a rille-ball, 
fired at a distance of twenty yards, reboimded and failed 
to penetrate an ancient post of this material. 

He quotes from Dr. Hooker in effect, that it is found, 
but not universally, in India. Throughout the Malay 
peninsula it is called "Peengado." It is abundant in 
the Bombay Presidency, where it is called " Jambea " and 
" Yerool ;" in the Godavery forests it bears the name of 
" Boja ;" it is common in Singapore, and is plentiful in 
the Philippine Islands. Everywhere the wood bears a 
high character for hardness and durability. 



143 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



Four of the specimens tested by Mr. Laslett, broke 
with about twelve inches length of fracture, and two 
with somewhat less. All were fibrous and wiry. 

THE CHOW, 

Also called the Menkabang Penang tree, is a native 
of Borneo ; is of large dimensions, yielding logs from 
thirty to seventy feet long and from fifteen to twenty- 
six inches square, and is of straight growth. The wood 
is yellowish or straw-color, close and fine in texture, 
straight in grain, hard, heavy, tough, and exceedingly 
strong. It is used in Borneo and the countries border- 
ing on the China Seas for masts, and for house and ship 
building. 

Of the samples tested by Mr. Laslett four broke with 
fractures about twelve inches in length, and two rather 
shorter. 

THE PINGOW 

Is also a native of Borneo, where it is said to be plenti- 
ful. It is straight and of considerable size, yielding 
timber from twenty-five to forty feet long and eleven 
to eighteen inches square. The wood is of a dark brown 
color, hard, heavy, tough, rigid, and remarkably strong ; 
it is straight in the grain, close in texture, and not diffi- 
cult to work. It is used for the same purposes as the 
Chow. AH the specimens tested by Mr. Laslett broke 
short. 

THE KRANJI, OR RED KRANJI TREE. 

Thei-e are probably varieties of some other color. It 
is another native of Borneo. It grows straight and of 
large size. The wood is red in color, hard, heavy, ex- 
ceedingly tough, and " is one of the strongest with which 
we are acquainted, every one of the specimens, Avhen 



Rods and Rod Material. 143 

tried transversely, taking a very heavy strain and break- 
ing with an unusually long fracture ; the grain is close, 
and somewhat resembles Cuba or Spanish mahogany, 
but is very j^lain " (Laslett). It takes a high polish. 

Cleghorn says, " The strength of the wood is very re- 
markable, being more than double that of oak. The 
Chinese use it for the stern-posts of their junks and for 
anchors, and they export it from Singapore. A log 
twenty-four feet long and one and a half feet square is 
worth ten dollai-s." 

Of the specimens tested by Mr. Laslett, three broke 
Avith a very long fracture, and three much shorter and 
scarf like. 

THE IRONBARK TREE 

Is a native of, and abundant in, Australia. It is a lofty 
tree of moderate circumference, and yields timber from 
twenty to forty feet in length and from eleven to thirteen 
inches square. It receives its name from the hardness 
of its bark. The botanical name is Eucalyptus resini- 
fera. 

The wood is of a deep red color, very hard, heavy, 
strong, extremely rigid, and rather difficult to work. 
It has a plain straight grain. It is used extensively 
in Australia in ship-building and engineering works, as 
well as in England for the former purpose. 

But four specimens of this were tested by Mr. Laslett. 
No. 1 broke with a wiry fracture sixteen inches in length; 
No, 2 wiry fracture of twelve inches ; No. 3 wiry fract- 
ure of ten inches ; No. 4 broke short to one-third depth, 
then splintering fracture ten inches in length. 

Attention is particularly called to the last two woods 
in the following table, which, if correct, shows both to 
be lighter, stronger, stiffer, and more elastic than green- 



144 



Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 



heart. Tlioy are readily to be bad, since every China 
vessel stops at Singapore, the market for the one ; while 
communication between this country and Australia, the 
home of the other, is frequent. If any wood really does 
possess the merits of bamboo, and if it is desirable to find 
such a Avood, certainly these two, at least, seem to deserve 
attention. 

TABLE ABRIDGED FROM LASLETT. 



Materials. 


Num- 
ber of 
Speci- 
mens. 


Deflections. 


Weight 
required 
to break. 


Specific 
Gravity. 


Weight re- 
quired to 
break 1 
sq. inch. 


Under 

390 
pounds. 


After 
weight 
was re- 
moved. 


At cri- 
sis of 
break- 
ing. 


Greenheart. 
Ironwood . . 

Chow . 

Pingow. ... 

Kranji 

Ironbark. . . 


6 
6 
6 
G 
(5 
4 


Inches. 

2.15 

0.958 

0.916 

0.775 

0.625 

0.94 


Inches. 
.066 
.033 
.025 
.058 
.025 
.000 


Inches. 

4.G25 

4.25 

2.833 

3.816 

4.04 

3.812 


Pounds. 
1332.5 
1273.3 

975. 
1263.3 
1482.6 
1407.5 


1149.6 
1176.3 
1115.6 
747.5 
1029.3 
1142. 


Pounds. 
333. 
318. 
243. 
315. 
370. 
351. 



Two other woods, natives of Cuba, seem to merit men- 
tion, and to be worthy of practical test. My information 
concerning them is derived from two papers on "The 
Strength and other Properties of Cuban Woods," in the 
November and December (1883) numbers of Van Nos- 
trand's Engineering Magazine, by E. D. Estrada, M.E. 

It is to be regretted that Mr, Estrada did not facilitate 
comparison by reducing his test pieces to one uniform 
size, though the necessity of " cutting his coat according 
to his cloth" will probably account for this. He de- 
scribes these woods substantially as follows : 

DAGAME {Colycophyllum candidissimum). 
This is one of the most plentiful trees of the forests 
of Cuba, being generally found near mountains and in 



Rods and Rod Material. 145 

reddish soils. A common height is from forty to fifty- 
feet. Its trunk is straight and quite free from branches. 
The wood is of a pale yellow color, very fibrous, is close- 
grained, thus resembling boxwood, is moderately heavy, 
and very strong and elastic. It is very easily worked, 
either across or with the grain. It turns remarkably 
well, is entirely free from knots, takes a fine jDolish, and 
is very durable. 

It is used extensively in general carpentry, for the 
wood-work of ploughs, cart-axles, spokes, and spikes, and 
is an excellent material for house-framing because of its 
strength and durability; and joiners prefer it for their 
work to most other woods. It is also extensively em- 
ployed by carriage manufacturers, in ship-yards, and for 
other similar jJurposes. The largest section that can be 
obtained after squaring is twelve inches. Its specific 
gravity is 0.90. A cubic foot weighs 56.1 pounds. 

Mr. Estrada's tests show this wood to be exceeding- 
ly strong and elastic, a piece 1.94 inches broad by 2.28 
inches deep and forty inches between supports, breaking 
only under a load of 3450 pounds, and with a deflection 
of 1.9 inches. 

JUCARO PRIETO (Bucido). 

This tree is abundant near the southern coast of Cuba, 
and attains a height of from sixty to eighty feet, for 
which it requires fifty to fifty-five yeai's' growth; it has 
lateral roots and yields gum by incision. 

The wood is of a dark brown color, much resembling 
black-walnut, is very strong, tough and elastic, and is 
heavy, fine-grained, and free from knots. It stands the 
weather remarkably well, is worked easily, and is suscepti- 
ble of good polish, thus producing a handsome effect. It 
is largely employed in naval constructions, for purposes 
10 



146 Fly -rods and Fly-tacJcle. 

where strength and durability are required. It is also 
extensively used by millwrights, and is an excellent ma- 
terial for posts, piles, and general dock constructions. 
It can be obtained in logs of thirty-six feet in length, 
and sixteen inches square. Its specific gravity is 1.08. 
A cubic foot weighs 67.3 pounds. 

A piece of the wood 1.45 inches broad, 1.75 inches 
deep, and twenty-eight inches between supports "broke 
at 1675 pounds, with a deflection of 0.85 inches. Con- 
tinued to break, and at the last break the total deflection 
was six inches. A remarkably tough wood." 

Since writing the above, through the kindness of Mr, 
Charles Mallory, of the Mallory Steamship Line, I have 
received specimens of the Jucaro Prieto and the Dagame 
from Cuba. They were in the form of two timbers, each 
thirteen inches wide, five inches thick, and nearly six feet 
long. The Jucaro Prieto resembled black- walnut in color 
and greenheart in density. It Avas free from knots and 
straight in the grain. Though sufliciently strong, it was 
not, and is not yet, elastic enough to warrant its recom- 
mendation for rod-making. It does not, however, appear 
to be thoroughly seasoned, so the future may possibly 
develop merits not now apparent. 

So greatly may different samples of the same wood 
vary in elasticity, that it is premature to condemn a 
matei-ial altogether because a single specimen may be 
defective. This, however, is the exception that makes 
the rule, " that it is a poor rule that don't work both 
ways;" for it is quite proper to recommend a wood, one 
specimen of which is excellent, since it is certain that 
others of equal merit can be had, and probably with but 
little difficulty. 

The Dagame, when sawn into sticks, resembled lance- 



Rods and Bod MaUrial. 147 

wood so closely in grain and color as to make it difficult 
to distinguish between them. It seems, however, inclined 
to take on a browner shade from exposure to the air, so 
that it is probable this resemblance will diminish with 
time. The grain was very straight, altogether free from 
knots, especially those small knots sometimes called 
" pins," which are the bane of the w^orker of lancewood. 
Though apparently not perfectly seasoned, yet a degree of 
stiffness, elasticity, and freedom from set was shown which 
would be considered remarkable in any wood. It broke 
with great difficulty, and then with a wiry fibrous fract- 
ure — resembling hickory in this respect. Compared with 
a stick of approved greenheart of equal size, the Dagame 
showed no inferiority that I could detect, Avhile it was 
certainly much lighter, and I thought decidedly stronger. 
Should I praise this wood in terms as high as I believe 
this sample would justify me in doing, I fear I might be 
deemed extravagant. 

I presented the well-known physicist. Professor Alfred 
M. Mayer, of the Stevens Institute of Technology, au- 
thor of that superb book, " Sports with Gun and Rod," 
with some which he converted into a light minnow cast- 
ing-i'od, believing that in this manner the quality of the 
wood could be better tested than in a fly-rod. He in- 
forms me that he has used the rod extensively in black- 
bass fishing, and purposely in the most unsparing man- 
ner. He speaks in the highest terms of its performance, 
emphasizing particularly its ability to endure the heavi- 
est strains — strains which doubled it up so as to cause his 
boatman again and again to beg him to spare so good 
a rod, and not doom it to certain destruction — and this 
with perfect impunity and entire apparent freedom from 
set. Should I express myself in its favor in as decided 



148 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

terms as I am tempted to do, not even then would his 
encomiums be exceeded. At all events it is well worthy 
the rod-maker's attention, especially for tips. 

PURPLEHEAKT. 

All travellers in British Guiana enlarge on the mag- 
nificence of this tree, growing as it does to the largest 
size, straight as an arrow, and without a branch for sixty 
feet or more. Its wood is universally commended by 
them as of great beauty, durability, strength, and elastic- 
ity. Black greenheart and purpleheart were the only 
woods that withstood the concussion of service when 
used for mortar-beds at the siege of Fort Bourbon, Mar- 
tinique. From the bark of this tree the natives con- 
struct their " wood-skin " canoes, some of which are large 
enough to caiTy twenty-five people in smooth water. It 
is also a favorite bow-wood of the Indians. It appears to 
be unknown in this country, none of the dealers seeming 
ever even to have heard of it — at least as far as I can 
ascertain. 

From the concurrent testimony of many travellers, 
covering nearly one hundred years, it seems unquestion- 
able that this wood is of great value for our purpose, and 
since it may be had quite as easily as greenheart, both 
being in common use in that colony, I commend it to the 
attention of rod-makers. I regret that I am unable to 
give its specific gravity or describe the wood more ex- 
actly. As to the first it is heavier than water, and as to 
the second it is purple in color. 

Composite rods of many different materials I have ex- 
perimented upon, with much labor but less profit. 

Cedar, inlaid with four strips of split-bamboo set in 



Rods and Rod Material. 149 

edgewise to a depth as near to the centre of the joint as 
possible, was the first effort in this direction. This was 
imitated from a beautiful rod made by that most excel- 
lent amateur rod and fly maker, Mr. J. James Hyde, of 
New York City. 

A like combination of bamboo and mahoe was tried. 
Both of these yielded good results. But having at that 
time adopted, and intending in the future to adhere to, 
one fixed size for my ferrules, so that my joints and tips 
should be interchangeable, the object sought was to so 
stiffen these two woods that a reduction to the standard 
diametei", without excessive reduction in length, would be 
possible. As far as this was concerned they were a fail- 
ure, and were consequently dropped. Then flat steel 
hoojj-skirt wire Avas substituted for the bamboo. This 
experiment gave me more trouble than any in my experi- 
ence of rod-making; for not only was the construction of 
a special plane fii'st necessary to channel out the very 
narrow grooves to I'eceive the flat wire edgewise, but 
some kind of a guide had to be devised to direct the 
channel down the exact centre of the stick, and this af- 
ter the stick had been tapered, since when the tempered 
steel was in position planing was at an end. But the gain 
in stiffness and strength did not compensate for the in- 
creased weight. The rod, to my hand, felt top-heavy and 
iTnpleasant. 

This latter effort is mentioned that, should another ex- 
periment in the same direction, he may profit by and 
avoid my mistakes. It is to be understood that the flat 
steel strip was set into the wood edgewise, and so that its 
upper edge Avas flush with the surface. I used a strip of 
even width, supposing that, since the taper of the wood 
would separate the four steel strips farther and farther 



150 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

apart, this would graduate the stiffness nicely and in the 
desired manner — on the principle of the truss. This 
turned out to be an error, and to him who feels dis- 
posed to venture in this direction is offered the advice to 
taper the width of his strips with a file before insertion. 
Gutta-percha gum, either alone or, if on cooling it does 
not harden sufficiently, mixed with some Burgundy pitch, 
will be found a good cement to secure the steel in place, 
since it is extremely adhesive both to wood and metal, 
is perfectly water-proof, and, in addition, melts at a low 
temperature. 

Wooden rods with a steel core are not unknown, but I 
have never seen one. 

For convenience of comparison, the specific gravities, 
before given under their appropriate materials, are ar- 
ranged in tabular form in the order of their weights, 
the heaviest first (p. 151). The weight of a cubic foot of 
each is also given in pounds and hundredths of a pound. 
Those specific gravities not marked with an asterisk, 
were computed with the kind assistance of Messrs. S. E. 
Hopkins and Wallace G. Levison, Director of the Cooper 
Institute Laboratory. Distilled water was the standard. 

The determinations were made with great care, and 
are believed to be reliable for the specimens tested to at 
least the third decimal jilace. Different samples of the 
same species differ somewhat in weight, but those tested 
in this instance were of woods carefully selected for the 
express purpose of rod-making, and were as nearly as 
possible the very best of their kind. Therefore it is 
believed that they, and the relative weights determined 
from them, more correctly represent the material used 
in fly-rods, than would anything selected at random in 
the market, or any table computed thereon. 



Bods and Bod Material. 



151 



The specimens of split-bamboo were of excellent qual- 
ity, and of my own preparation. The six-strip hexagonal 
piece was taken fi"om an old and well-tried middle joint. 
The angles of this were very slightly rounded. The 
four-strip piece was put together with the rind inside, 
for the purpose of comparison. The cedar was from a 
very choice Florida specimen. 



Specific 
Gravity. 



Weight of 1 
Cubic Foot. 



Snakewood 

Beef wood 

Bethabara 

*Ironwood 

*Iroiibark 

*Chow 

Greenheart (dark-colored) 

*Jucaro Prieto 

Lancewood 

*Kranji 

Split-bamboo : Six-strip hexagonal, rind outside 

Bois d'Arc 

Split-bamboo : Four-strip, rind inside 

Greenheart (light-colored) 

*Dagame 

Shadblow 

Paddlewood 

Ironwood {Hornbeam) 

Hickory 

Ash 

*Pingow 

Mahoe 

Cedar (Florida) . , 



1.3718 
1.3090 
1.2140 
1.176 
1.142 
1.116 
1.0908 
1.08 
1.0335 
1.029 
.9915 
.9690 
.9678 
.9643 
.90 
.8620 
.8363 
.8184 
.7963 
.7786 
.748 
.6607 



85.74 
81.81 
75.88 
73.50 
71.37 
69.75 
68.18 
67.30 
64.59 
64.31 
61.96 
60.56 
60.49 
60.26 
56.10 
53.87 
52.27 
51.15 
49.77 
48.66 
46.75 
41.29 
39.98 



To facilitate computation, as is customary where abso- 
lute accuracy is not required, the Aveight of a cubic foot 
of distilled water was taken at 62.5 pounds. This table 
does not bear out the statement hei-etofore made that 



152 Fly-rods and Fly-taclde. 

the ironbark wood was lighter than greenheart. The 
comparison was then made with Mr. Laslett's specimens 
of greenheart, which were considerably heavier (71.81 
pounds to the cubic foot) than those tested by me. At- 
tention has been called before to the fact that different 
samples of the same variety of wood vary considerably 
in weight, due largely, doubtless, to difference in season- 
ing. I have seen specimens of lancewood, of apparently 
equal density, some of which would float, while others 
would sink in ordinary well-water. 

The same may be said as to the hexagonal split-bam- 
boo. Since the rind of this is heavier and the pithy j^or- 
tion lighter than w^ater, it follows that the specific gravi- 
ty of any portion of such a rod must vary as the relative 
projjortions of these constituents vary. Therefore this 
must be greatest at the end of the tip, and thence gradu- 
ally diminish towards the handle. It is believed, how- 
ever, that the average specific gravity of a good eight- 
ounce rod of this description will approximate closely to 
the figures of the table. 



IHE ROB OF THE FUTURE. 

Vuillaume, the celebrated French violin - maker, at 
one time made tubular steel violin and violoncello bows. 
Having been somewhat familiar with both the construc- 
tion and use of those instruments, the idea at once struck 
me that this was the direction in which the perfect rod 
should be sought. 

The requisite conditions are alike in both cases — light- 
ness, strength, and temporary and permanent elasticity, 
being equally the desiderata in violin-bows as in fly-rods. 
That which will make a ijood violin-bow should serve 



Rods and Bod Material. 153 

equally well for rod-making. These steel bows seemed to 
fill all the conditions, and it is Avith the utmost confidence 
I hazard the opinion that in the — it is to be hoped not dis- 
tant — future, a fly-rod will be thus made which will be 
as great an improvement over the split-bamboo, as that 
invention was in advance of the wooden rods. Lack of 
time (since rod-making is merely an amusement with me) 
and the necessary facilities, alone have prevented me from 
trying this long since. 

Two or three years ago I made a hollow gorman-silver 
middle joint, hoping to condense the metal sufticiently 
by rolling to obtain the necessary spring, but by no 
means at my command could the metal be sufiiciently 
compressed, and it was a failure. 

While it cannot be denied that the hardening and tem- 
pering of a hollow steel joint, particularly when made of 
as thin metal as would be required to insure lightness, 
would present some difficulty, still, harder things are done 
every day. 

It is to be hoped that some of the many manufacturers 
who supply the mai'ket with rods will try this, at least 
for butts and middle joints. For tips, those in present 
use would work very satisfactorily in this combination. 
That a rod so made, if well made, would transcend in 
merit everything now in use needs no argument. Think 
of its perfect, uniform, and permanent elasticity, its in- 
diffei-ence to moisture when merely bronzed and lackered, 
its matchless strength, the absolute certainty of uniform- 
ly excellent material — indeed, what quality that a fly-rod 
should possess would not this have in absolute perfec- 
tion? The only questions are of thickness of metal, just- 
ness of proportion, and obtaining a good temper. 

As to the first, "cold-rolled" French steel, of any thick- 



154 Fly-rods and Fly-taclie. 

ness from that of the thinnest paper to a thirty-second 
of an inch, can be had at Frasse & Co.'s, No. 95, or of 
Montgomery & Co., No. 105, both in Fulton Street, New 
York City. It comes in strips about four inches wide, 
coiled in rolls several feet in length. As sold, it is ex- 
tremely soft, but it hardens at a low heat and takes an 
excellent temper. The stri]) could readily be cut to 
shape with a pair of shears after a wooden or even paper 
pattei'n, lapped over a mandrel, and the edges brazed, or, 
perhaps better still, silver-soldered. Then, introducing 
the mandrel again, the joint could be rounded by a roll- 
er, or even with a large pair of grooved pincers, while it 
revolved in the lathe. Several could then be hardened 
together, jjacked with charcoal in a piece of gas-pipe, and 
an absolutely uniform temper secured in the way sword- 
blades are treated, or by use of one of the metallic alloys 
mentioned in the American EncyclopaBdia under the ar- 
ticle " Steel." Or a lesson on this point might be taken 
from the makers of steel hoop-skirt wire. 

It might and probably would be advisable, if very thin 
steel were used, to fill the inside of the tubular joint with 
a core, that the tube might be collapsed neither by acci- 
dent nor undue strain. For this cedar could well be 
used, fastened in place with any readily fusible cement, 
like gutta-percha gum. Ordinary shoemaker's-wax or 
gas-wax would undoubtedly answer quite well. A rod 
so made would be almost beyond accident — entirely so, 
unless attacked with an axe, or in some similar, and as 
little likely, fashion. Of course a wooden handle should 
be used with such a rod, both to save weight and to sim- 
plify manufacture. 

This matter has been treated at some length in the 
hope that it may reach some one having the proper skill 



Bods and Bod Material. . 155 

and facilities, and that he may be tempted to try it. Per- 
fect success at the first attempt it would be sanguine to 
expect; but that, with little effort and experiment, a per- 
fect rod of this description can be produced, and, when 
once produced can be indefinitely reproduced, I have no 
doubt. For such a rod there is a ready market, and he 
who first places it within reach of the angler will receive 
a sure and ample reward. 



156 . Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



CHAPTER VII. 

EOD-MAKING. 

This chapter differs nothing from the others of this 
book, in that it does not presume to direct, instruct, ad- 
monish, or advise the initiated, whether professional or 
amateur. 

If he who proposes for the first time to occupy his 
leisure during the close season Avith the amusement of 
rod-making, finds encouragement and aid in its precepts, 
the purpose for which it was written will be fully an- 
swered. 

Before proceeding with specific dii-ections, a Avord of 
caution. 

Do not expect at the first effort and without experi- 
ence to rival the production of the trained mechanic, 
guided by the skill acquired through years of daily prac- 
tice, for this will but result in disappointment and dis- 
couragement. Be but patient in your labor, never hurry- 
ing or slighting your work; honest to yourself in the selec- 
lection of your material, and honest to the material you 
select in your work upon it; and though the result may 
for some time lack the beauty of finish of that of the pro- 
fessional rod-maker, still your Avork Avill have one great 
merit which his too often lacks — though the apparel 
may be less attractive, real intrinsic worth Avill still be 
there. 

Do not suppose because his tools are few and simple. 



Rod-7naMng. 157 

and perhaps somewhat primitive as compared to those of 
the present day, that you can or should use the same. 
You are handicapped by your lack of preliminary train- 
ing in their use, at least as applied to the purpose in 
hand, and all the aid to he derived from the best possible 
tools will be required to overcome this. 

Your planes must be strictly first-class, and for this 
purpose the " Bailey " planes, made by the Stanley Rule 
and Level Company, are far superior to any others which 
I have seen. In my own Avork I consider them indispens- 
able. These planes are of iron, ai-e true on the bot- 
tom, and the bit is thin and easily sharpened. But their 
greatest merit for our purpose consists in that the set of 
the bit is govei-ned by turning a screw, so that the thick- 
ness of the shaving can be instantly regulated at will, and 
to the utmost nicety. These may be had at almost any 
hardware dealer's, or may be ordered direct from the com- 
pany, at No. 29 Chambers Street, New York City. It ad- 
vertises, if the price-list be sent with the order, to forward 
to any part of the United States at its expense. Though 
the first cost of these planes is in excess of the wooden 
plane, their great superiority for our purpose renders 
them far cheaper in the end. 

If it is proposed to work both wood and split-bamboo, 
two sizes will be required — a fourteen-inch (No. 5 on their 
price-list, at |3.75) and a six-inch (No. 1 on their price- 
list, at $2.25). The former you will mainly use in work- 
ing w^ood, the latter upon split-bamboo; but the pux'chase 
of both is strongly recommended, no matter with what 
you intend to deal, since at times in the progress of every 
rod you will find one serve far better than the other. A 
third plane, about three and a quarter inches long, made 
by the same company (No. 50 on their price-list, at forty- 



158 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

live cents), will be found exceedingly convenient in round- 
ing and altering wooden joints. 

You will also require a ten -inch "mill -saw" file, a 
Morse twist-drill one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, 
and means for driving it — say a common brace — and a 
true surface to plane on. You must also have a few 
scraps of thin saw-steel, which a broken saw will well 
supply. If no broken saw is at hand, look in some 
trades-paper for the advertisement of a saw-maker, and 
order them from him, but be sure you ask for thin tem- 
pered stuff. Or you may buy a steel wood-scraper, such 
as cabinet-makers use, at any hardware store ; but these 
seem generally to be inferior to 
i:wv^--— --^--^'^ the saw-steel for our use. Having 
? \ obtained these steel scraps, lay 

? C them on a flat surface, and file a 

_,. ^ number or round notches oi vari- 

ous sizes around the edge, thus: 
finishing with a pretty fine file. File at a right angle with 
the steel, and sharpen when dull in the same manner. 

By scraping the joint with this tool after rounding 
with the plane, you will easily make your joints circular, 
and be able to dispense Avith an expensive set of grooved 
planes. This scraper must be inclined to the joint when 
used ; a moment's trial will determine the angle at which 
it cuts best. 

A few other tools will be required, to be described at 
that stage in the process to which they are applicable. 
If not already done, the chapter on Rods should be 
read in conjunction with this, since such special pecul- 
iarities in working as each material was thought to pos- 
sess, have been there stated. 

As to those materials, it may be said once for all that 



Rod-making. 159 

an excellent rod can be made from almost any of them. 
If the stuff is good of its kind, the result depends upon 
the proportionate thickness and taper used. And here 
you have a decided advantage over the professional rod- 
maker. He makes his rods to earn his daily bread. 
Often he must select the worse Avhen a better course is 
well known to him, and this to meet the real or fancied 
whim of the ordinary purchaser, upon whom he relies to 
dispose of his goods. 

Among these may be mentioned the actual or sup- 
posed requirement that the butt, middle joint, and tip 
shall each be of equal length. This certainly has some- 
thing in its favor, since, when the rod is apart, each 
joint lends support to the others against accident in 
transportation. But a little lengthening of the tip-case 
will accomplish the same result, unless it be in carrying 
the rod from the temporary lodging-place of the angler 
to the stream he intends to fish, when the tip-case is 
usually left behind. The life of a rod is in the middle 
joint ; and by the usual method the ferrule uniting the 
butt to that joint is about as injuriously located as it 
well can be. It is advisable, therefore, to compromise on 
this, and make the butt as short and the middle joint as 
long as the distance you expect to carry your rod to 
water, and the risk and inconvenience of your usual 
means of travel, will 2)ermit. 

Another fashion which you will do well to eschew is 
the struggle for excessive lightness. Some seem to 
fancy that an angler is entitled to rank in the brother- 
hood in inverse proportion to the weight of rod he uses, 
and that irrespective of the Avaters to be fished. But 
such is not the opinion of the judicious. He views with 
a smile of pity the effort to make a wooden rod with its 



160 Fly -rods and Fly-tackle. 

solid bandle, as light or lighter than a split-bamboo of 
equal length, with its hollow half-cedar gripe. To save 
weight, or, what is equivalent, leverage against the an- 
gler, by shortening the rod as far as is consistent with 
perhaps a little more than a fair working cast, is wise. 
For who wishes to lug useless weight all day long to no 
good purpose ; the same end, and with far less incon- 
venience, would be accomplished by filling the pockets 
with stones. Ten feet, or ten feet six inches, I believe 
to be quite sufficient length to give to any single-handed 
fly-rod. With this, ordinary skill can handle sixty feet 
of line at a pinch; and we all know that in actual fishing 
nine hundred and ninety casts out of a thousand will 
fall within forty measured feet. When you read or 
hear (as you have or will) of an angler wading down 
stream, or sitting in a boat, and casting seventy feet as 
a mere matter of course, and not at all aside from his 
usual practice, you may feel confident those feet were 
of other than the English standard. 

The skilled angler limits his cast by preference to that 
distance, within which he can without effort deliver a 
fair straight line and a light fly. It is only he who oc- 
cupies debatable ground, who while not quite a green- 
horn is yet by no means an angler, whom you will see, 
in boat or on stream, needlessly swishing his sixty or 
seventy feet of line. Better by far to cast fifty feet 
clean and clear, than to boggle about at sixty or sixty- 
five, and then by some happy combination of circum- 
stances, and after repeated effort, at last reach even 
eighty. With excellent and protracted opportunity to 
observe many very skilful anglers, I cannot recall one 
single instance of a cast in actual fishing that would ex- 
ceed sixty-five measured feet. Not that many of these 



Rod-mahing. 161 

could not considerably surpass that distance, but the 
effort would have been jiurposeless and was not made. 
But this is a digression. Let us return to rod-making-. 

Give your rod nerve — backbone — so that when you 
take it in hand it feels as if the tip were absolutely under 
command, even when weighted with forty feet of the 
line it is proposed to use. It should be pliable, and 
when swung horizontally, holding the handle quite still, 
it should work evenly from the butt, and with a constant 
and even increase of uniform action quite to the tip. 
Look first to this, then give it as much lightness as the 
material you use will permit. Should you by accident 
or mistake carry the latter so far as to impair the former, 
shorten the middle joint at the smaller end. An inch 
or two will make a w^onderful difference in this respect. 
Eveiy way better and more efficient is a rod of nine feet 
six inches, of just proportion and true action, than a 
faulty one of ten feet six. 

Now let us lay out our rod. It will be noticed I give 
no sizes for ferrules. Almost any size within reason 
may be used, depending solely on where you place them. 
But one direction in this respect is of any practical 
value ; all else will determine itself. Begin the taper 
of the rod as near the handle as possible, that with the 
length you have determined on, you may make the 
greatest possible proportion of that length efficient. 
Through neglect of this, many a rod which actually 
measures a good eleven feet, is practically the inferior 
of one of six inches or even a foot less. It is the part 
that springs — the part that works that does the business; 
therefore make your handle short, and give as much action 
to the butt joint as you can, but always retaining perfect 
command of the upper portion of the rod. 
11 



162 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

It must be admitted that many excellent anglers prefer 
a " top-beavy " rod — one weak in the middle joint. They 
say it casts mors easily. This may be, doubtless is, true 
as far as they are concerned, for habit will reconcile man 
to anything except the toothache. But that a beginner 
will find this so may well be questioned. Conceding, 
however, this point, there is no other one thing which a 
fly-rod should do, in which such a rod is not at a disad- 
vantage. It is neither so sure on the strike, nor so cer- 
tain in the hold. It will not begin to give the angler the 
same all - important control of a heavy fish; w^hile the 
curve it assumes under strain, instead of being a thing 
of beauty, is an eyesore to every one but its infatuated 
owner. It is as sightly as a broken-backed steamboat, 
and not a whit more so. 

For a twelve-foot fly-rod, half an inch in diameter at 
the point where the taj^er begins is quite sufticient. For 
a rod of ten and a half feet, fifteen thirty - seconds of 
an inch is ample. Start then with this, and procure the 
ferrule, to be placed immediately above the handle, of a 
corresponding size. Should you find the butt joint too 
stiff when the rod is together, you can reduce it by a 
sudden taper immediately above the ferrule. 

NoAV lay out your work, thus : Take a smooth pine 
board, say four feet long. Mark the diameter of the in- 
side of your butt ferrule at one end, and of the small 
end of your tip at the other, separated by a distance in 
inches easily divisible as shown in the illustration on the 
opposite page (Fig. 34). 

Length of rod 10 feet 6 inches, equals 126 inches ; less 
length of handle, 10 inches, equals 116 inches; divide 
this into a number of equal parts — 13 will answer well — 
making each division bear the same proportion to the 



Rod-making. 



163 



length of the diagram, that 9 inches does 
to the working length of the rod — 116 
inches (so very nearly that we may neg- 
lect the error). Draw straight lines at 
a right angle to the axis of the rod at 
each of these 13 divisions, and number 
them as in the diagram, calling each 
space so formed 9 inches long. It will 
be seen that we have thus determined 
the diameter of the rod for every 9 
inches of its working length; and that 
to find what it should be at any point — 
say 54 inches from the handle, for ex- 
ample — all we have to do is to measure 
the perpendicular line at the point 54, 
and we have it. 

From the diagram already constructed 
you have determined where the ferrules 
shall be located, and also the inner di- 
ameter of the outside or female ferrule. 
Now having cut your wood about an 
inch longer than the ultimate length of 
the proposed joint, square it with the 

plane. Then 

drill two holes, 
a and b (Fig. 
35), through 
each of the 
joints at right 
angle with one 
another: one, say at half an inch, and 
the other at three-quarters from that 
which is to be the larger end. 




Inches. 
0.. 



18 . 



if in. 



72. 



81. . 



90. . , 



164 Fly-rods and Fly-tacUe. 

Provide a piece of brass wire a little smaller than the 
holes, from which you are to make a pin, and drive it 
into your planing-board. By placing the holes over the 
pin you will be able to hold your joint while planing ; 
and the strain will be a pull, and not a push, as would 
be the case if your joint was kept in place in the usual 
manner, by butting the end against a support. Thus 
your joint will be less likely to crook, or break under the 
plane. But before beginning to plane, you should pre- 
pare gauges to caliper the joint from time to time dur- 
ing the progress of the work. 

Take a thin piece of metal — brass is best — and file in 
its edges thirteen square notches, each equal in width to 
the length of one of the perpendicular lines in your dia- 
gram, as in Fig. 36. Do this 
ry~LnJ~^J~y"^ with care, that the sides of each 

' — ' notch be parallel — of a depth 

^'^' ^^' equal to their width, and of a 

width exactly equal to the length of the appro- 
priate line. Then number each notch to corre- 



a 



Fig. 37. 



spond with its appropriate line ; the widest will 
then be numbered 0, the next 9, the next 18, 
and so on. Also, by drawing a diagram for the 
purpose, or by using an ordinary square, file up a small 
square in a piece of brass of about three-quarters of an 
inch to the side, as in Fig. 37. 

You will have noticed before applying the plane 
whether the wood you are about to work into a joint is 
straight or not, and probably have found it crooked. 
These crooks ai'ise from unequal contraction in season- 
ing, the tendency being to curve away from the heart 
of the tree. They incline to be persistent, and to recur 
after straightening. Therefore, if possible, plane the joint 



Rod-making. 165 

straight. But if not, the stick must be straightened by 
the aid of heat. To do this, heat the wood as hot as 
you can well bear your hand upon it. Unless the stick 
is small, this must be done gradually, heating it as hot 
as yon dai'e, then letting it stand a while for the exte- 
rior to impart its warmth to the interior, and then, when 
the surface has cooled somewhat, heating again, repeat- 
ing this until it is warmed through. It can then be 
straightened, and ma}^ remain straight provided no at- 
tempt is made to work upon it until it is perfectly cold. 
You will also often find the joint crook under the plane. 
In this case, it is best to wait until the joint is finished 
before correcting it. It need cause no uneasiness, since 
nearly every joint before varnishing and when otherwise 
finished, requires attention in this respect. 

Now drive your brass pin into the planing-board, or 
board upon Avhich you propose to rest your joint when 
planing it. Then, making proper allowance for the ex- 
cess of length in the joint, draw a straight line on the 
board equal in length to the proposed joint when finished. 
Divide it up into spaces, each nine inches long, and num- 
ber them plainly. By laying your joint beside this line, 
you can at any moment ascertain exactly where any cal- 
iper notch should be applied to determine when the 
proper thickness is reached, without the trouble of meas- 
uring every time. Then secure your joint by placing one 
of the drill-holes over the pin, and j^lane away — first on 
one and then on the 023posite side, changing frequently 
from one to the other. Use the utmost care to keep the 
two sides parallel. You will know this is the case if 
both edges are of like width. When you approach the 
proper taper, set your plane very fine, and use your gauge 
often. Be patient, remembering that haste is the sure 



166 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

precursor of error. Having finished two of the sides, 
plane the taper into the remaining two in like manner, 
but be sure to keep the stick square. 

This is the time to test your material. Bend it to- 
wards each of the four sides, and don't be gingerly about 
'it eithei-. If your ship must sink, let it be while you are 
ashore. The strain should be applied when the taper is 
almost, better still if quite, complete. Hold the bend in 
the joint till you can count thirty with moderate slow- 
ness. Then release it, and see if it has regained its orig- 
inal shape. If it has, your wood is first-class; and con- 
gratulating yourself on your good-fortune, redouble your 
care that no error on your part spoil it. If it neither 
splinter nor break, but does "set," i.e., does not resume 
its original shape, the better course is to suspend it by 
one end where the air will have free access to it, and let 
it season foa- a few months. Do not be tempted, or, if 
tempted, do not yield to the temptation, to hang it in a 
hot closet, through which the furnace pipes pass, since 
then it will dry unequally, and season-cracks may occur. 
If the " set " is slight, you may at the same time regret 
and ignore it, and proceed to finish the rod; though even 
then the former course is the more judicious. 

Let us assume the test has been applied, and with sat- 
isfactory result. Take the joint in your left hand, and 
with your pocket-knife trim off the corners for about half 
or three-quarters of an inch at the larger end, till you 
have reduced the section of that end to an octagon, 
as shown by Fig. 38 (the dotted lines represent where 
your cutting is to cease). 

Work a little at each edge in succession, using care 
that when you finish^each of the eight sides is equal, and 
your octagon perfect in form. You must by no means 



Bod-making. 



167 



in so doing touch either of the four planed sides — only 
the corners are to be cut. Now, treat the smaller end in 
the same way. The two ends will then serve as a guide 
to inform you when you have planed the whole joint to 
an octagon, which is your next step. 

To do this successfully you should have a grooved 
strip of pine in which to lay the joint. Any carpenter 
can make one for you, or you can make it yourself by 
planing off the corners of two pieces of f-inch stuff, and 
afterwards nailing, screwing, or gluing them together, 
as in Fi(y. 39. 





Or a strip sawn off the grooved edge of a " tongued and 
grooved " board will answer, though not so well. 

Now, drill two more holes as before, but this time in 
the middle of the new faces; put a brass pin in the bot- 
tom of the groove, hook on the joint, and plane off the 
corners in turn, till the joint is octagonal throughout, 
and your eye informs you that the taper is uniform. Be 
careful, be patient, and don't hurry. Now, with your 
small plane take off each of the eight corners, rounding 
them a little, and your joint will be nearly circular. 



168 Fly -rods and Fly-taclde. 

Set it one side, and proceed to square and taper the 
other joints in the same way, but not to round them till 
you have taken the following step: Apply your male, or 
inside, ferrule to the larger end of your middle joint or 
tip. You will find it too large to enter. Turn that end 
from you, and plane off a shaving or two, and the same 
number, from each face, and try it again. Continue this 
until small enough, using the utmost caution to avoid 
excess, and also to treat each side alike, lest your fer- 
rules set crooked when in position. You will thus take 
the taper out of a few inches at that part of your joint, 
which will then be of uniform diameter, and you must 
work with that end in view; for the rod is flexible, but 
the ferrule is not, and this method seems best to harmo- 
nize these discordant characteristics. Then reduce the 
joint to an octagon, and after that test and round as be- 
fore. The next step is to fit the ferrules, for which use 
your scraper, file, and care. Locate the male ferrules so 
that the excess of length originally allowed will protrude 
beyond them; and after the ferrule is fastened, cut off 
this excess. You will thus be rid of the holes, and for 
this purpose the extra length was allowed. If you get 
the wood a little too small you need not break your heart 
over it, since many purposely do this, and then enlarge 
the wood to fit by wrapping it with thread, claiming that 
the ferrules thus hold better, and are less likely to be- 
come loose. If you use thread for this purpose, wind it 
on evenly, so one part does not overlay another (unless 
more than one layer is required to make a fit), and paste 
it down with some of the cement you propose to fasten 
your ferrules with. Then melt the cement thoroughly 
through the thread, completely saturating it. Next warm 
your ferrule, place a small piece of cement inside on that 



Bod-making. I6a 

part which is to be united to the joint, and work it about 
with a small stick till the inside is coated. 

In setting a female, or outside, ferrule, it must not be 
pushed on beyond the proper distance, or a part of that 
portion of its interior intended to receive the male fer- 
rule may become coated with cement, and compel the 
removal and cleansing of the ferrule. To avoid the pos- 
sibility of this, prejjare a piece of wood one-sixteenth of 
an inch longer than the entering part of the male ferrule, 
and drop it inside of the female ferrule when about to set 
it. As that ferrule is pushed on, the Avood will move be- 
fore the entering joint. If the last quarter of an inch is in- 
serted by thrusting the ferrule against any solid substance, 
the wood will strike when the proper jDoint is reached, and 
prevent the ferrule from being pushed beyond it. 

Having coated both the joint and the inside of the fer- 
rule, melt the cement on both, and push the ferrule into 
place, giving it a twisting motion in so doing, if possible. 
The excess of cement (and an excess should be applied) 
will be crowded before the ferrule. Then wet a knife, 
that the cement may not adhere to it, and take it up for 
use another time. Warm the rest till fluid, and wipe it 
off clean with a rag. Should any of the thread have 
been pushed down before the ferrule, be careful in re- 
moving it to make no transverse cut in the wood, for 
such a cut, though hardly j^erceptible, will detract thirty 
per cent., if not more, from the strength of the joint. 

Here it might well be asked what cement should be 
used. To this it may be answered, avoid shellac and 
red-lead — or white-lead, or anything which sets as hard 
as a stone, and which, should the joint break at the fer- 
rule, will require a degree of heat sufiicient to anneal the 
metal before the broken piece can be pushed out. 



170 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

I have used hard shoemaker's wax, gas-fittter's red- 
wax, engraver's wax, marine glue. Bottom's cement, gut- 
ta-percha gum, and shellac. The latter is most common- 
ly used in scales, not in solution unless it be very thick. 
The desiderata are a cement which Avill melt and release 
the ferrule at a low temperature, but which will other- 
Avise hold fast. At the edge of the ferrules is the weak- 
est part of the rod, and there at least three out of five — 
I think it would be safe to say four out of five — breaks 
occur. To be able to repair such damage with the aid 
of a few matches and a pocket-knife, and to resume fish- 
ing promptly, is therefore very important. Even though 
this could be had but at the cost of ten times the time 
and trouble at home, the difference of occasion and facil- 
ity considered, it would still be cheap. During the win- 
ter, ferrules so fastened are apt to become loose, particu- 
lai"ly if the rod has been kept in a heated room. But 
ten minutes' work at the beginning of the open season 
will remedy all that. If you have the ability to make a 
rod, you certainly can reset the ferrules on that rod. 

Shellac melts at rather a high temperature for our 
purpose, and the same may be said of Bottom's cement. 
Shoemaker's wax and gas-fitter's wax I have used Avith 
satisfaction. They melt easily, and will hold through 
the season, at any rate, very well. Marine glue — a com- 
pound of rubber and shellac — is better than either, but 
expensive and difficult to obtain. But gutta-percha gum 
seems to quite " fill the bill," and is easily to be had. It 
melts at a low heat, is extremely adhesive, and sufficient- 
ly elastic to admit of considerable expansion and con- 
traction of the wood without losing its hold. Any 
dentist can supply the little you will require, or you 
can go to your shoemaker for some of the cement used 



Rod-making. 171 

to paste patches on shoes, which generally consists of 
this gum dissolved in carbon bisulphide. I have not 
used this long enough to speak positively, but it is con- 
fidently expected that a ferrule once fastened with it, 
will withstand every vicissitude of time and weather, 
and only become loose when desired.* 

Avoid all fastening pins. The professional rod-makers 
fancy they are necessary to the sale, or at least the repu- 
tation, of their rods. Some fishermen think that any rod 
they buy and pay for should stand every form of abuse, 
and if it does not, the rod-maker is blamed and his work 
decried. The makers know this, and that their reputation 
for skilled and honest work is as sensitive as that of a 
woman. It is for this class the fastening pin is intended. 
You will hear each of the better known makers abused in 
turn, something in this fashion: "Oh, yes, John Doe made 
a good rod once upon a time, but now his business is so 
grown that he trades upon his reputation, and uses any 
kind of material, good, bad, and indifferent. Why, my 



* Gutta-percha gum hardens after fusion with such extreme slowness 
that a rod to which it has been applied should not be jointed for at least 
twenty-four hours. This tax upon the patience may be avoided by adding 
to it about one-fourth part of shellac in scales, or of Burgundy pitch. 
Melt the shellac or pitch first, then add the gutta-percha, and stir with a 
stick until amalgamation is complete. Then pour the molted mass into 
cold water, and work it well with the fingers while submerged, finally 
drawing it out into a cylinder about one-third of an inch thick and three 
inches long. Tins quantity will last quite a while, and, since it seems to 
improve with age, it is well to arrange to produce at least so much. Any 
small tin dish will serve to melt it in, and this can readily be cleaned by 
heating and wiping with a rag. 

The reader is cautioned that the solution of the gum alluded to above 
has an odor that is simply appalling. Chloroform dissolves it readily, is 
equally volatile, and much less oifensive. 



173 Fly -rods and Fly-taclde. 

friend bought one of his rods, and the very first fish he 
caught — and it wasn't longer than your hand — it broke;" 
or, " after he had used it one season it was crooked as a 
ram's horn," etc. The facts in such cases are usually 
true, but they are not unfrequently cases of partial truth 
only. If you knew in the one case that the fish struck 
when the rod was perpendicular, so that it could not 
bend ; or in the other, that the rod was habitually left 
standing or lying supported on the butt and tip alone, 
or kept bent month after month in a bag tied tight 
around the middle, you would draw quite a different 
inference. To such of my readers as wish to buy and 
do not care to make, I would say that that maker who 
has a reputation, will do his best to maintain it. If he 
once turned out good work, competition will force him 
to do so still. If he has the skill, you may be sure he 
will use it. No one knows better than he that one bad 
rod will do him more harm than a hundred, first-class 
in every respect, will benefit him ; and if he sells the 
rod with his name upon it, he believes it, and chances 
are ninety -nine out of a hundi-ed you will find it, all 
right, as far as concealed defects are concerned. 

During this digression you are supposed to have fast- 
ened your ferrules, for which you have had ample time. 
Now, take your scraper with the semicircular notches, 
and proceed to round your rod. This is soon done. 
Joint your rod, put the butt joint to the handle, and with 
reel in place see how it feels. If any ferrule is not in 
line, warm and straighten it if you can. If you cannot, 
set the rod so the crook is uppermost, ^.e., so that the rod 
sets upward from the straight line. If too withy, shorten 
the middle joint at the small end an inch or two, and try 
it again. A very little change here makes a great differ- 



Rod-making. 173 

ence in the leverage, and consequently in the feel and 
action. If still too weak, shorten the tip at the larger 
end ; and if the fault still exists, shorten the small end 
of the middle joint again. This method will at last 
surely remedy this fault, but whether at too great a 
sacrifice of length you must judge. But I would not 
advise that the rod be thrown away as a failure if the 
material is good, unless you are obliged to reduce it be- 
low nine feet six inches, a contingency hardly possible 
if you planned a ten foot six, or even a ten-foot rod. 
If too stiff, before you proceed to weaken it, impress a 
friend to hold the handle, hang a weight on the tip, and 
put a good smart strain on the rod. If its curve is even 
and true, thin the rod all over, except the upper part of 
the tip. If it is not, mark the stiff places with a pencil, 
and work them off. Get a true curve first before you 
begin to think of reducing the rod generally, for with- 
out this a fly-rod is an abortion. When present, you 
will know the strain is diffused equally, and that each 
inch is contributing its best to the general integrity of 
the whole. When you think the golden mean between 
stiffness and flexibility is reached, if circumstances per- 
mit fasten on a few rings temporarily, rig your line, and 
go out on the grass, or on top of the house — any place 
where you can get a clear range — and try its casting 
powers. If you can borrow a good rod, or secure the as- 
sistance of a friend who has one, try first one and then the 
other — alter if need be, and try again ; be patient and 
painstaking, and I shall be much mistaken if you do not 
turn out a very respectable rod, even at your first effort. 
Finish with sand-paper, first No. 1, afterwards No. 0, 
turning the joint constantly, while you rub the sand- 
paper longitudinally. Get a good smooth finish, for it 



174 Fly -rods and Fly-tacMe. 

will save mucli time and trouble in varnishing, and is 
essential if you wish the rod to look well. 

If the material of which the rod was comi:)osed were 
perfectly homogeneous, and without ferrules, strict ad- 
herence to our diagram would give the desired result. 
But such is never the case. No two pieces of wood are 
alike, even though from the same tree. Much less then 
can this be the case when the rod is composite in char- 
acter. Our diagram is as the place of departui'e to the 
navigator, a fixed and known point from which to shape 
our course towards a goal we cannot see. In all cases 
it will require some, in no two cases the same, modifica- 
tion. Here enters in the skill and personal equation of 
the maker. In this I can give you no assistance, beyond 
the advice to make your changes slowly — allow no de- 
parture from a true curve when the rod is bent — and 
insist that the action is such that the tip is absolutely 
under the command of the lower portion of the rod. 
Remember that a rod twelve feet, and one nine feet six 
inches long, should and may have the same flexibility 
and action. Some, to-day, still praise the long rod and 
decry the shorter, just as some still oppose the breech- 
loader. Six or seven years ago the cry was that the shoi-t 
rod was fit only for short casts and baby-fishing. Now 
the tune has changed, and the short rod is fit only for 
long distance casting. Neither is true. Because a short 
rod is desired that the excessive weight of the long rod 
(or apparent weight of its greater leverage) may be 
avoided, it by no means follows that resort must be had 
to a poker. So again I say, give your rod all the flexi- 
bility you can, but be sure it is uniform, and that you 
retain beyond suspicion absolute command of the tip. 



Rod-making. 175 

weighted with the line when in use, and consequently, 
that a degree of flexibility which seems excellent in the 
shop may be excessive when on the stream. Hence, gov- 
ern the final adjustment of the rod by actual casting, if 
possible. 

FERRULES. 

It does seem as though some precise diameter should 
be given for the ferrules of fly-rods, but from the very 
nature of the case it is impossible. As well ask a tailor 
for the size of a coat to fit all men. 

I have used the following for years: Handle female fer- 
rule, inside measurement, -f^ of an inch, length 2f inches, 
unless ferrule is sunk into the handle so only its mouth 
appears. Then it should run the whole length of the 
gripe, and be fastened with cement as heretofore di- 
rected. This is the better construction, since then the 
utmost possible length of the rod is efticient. The fe- 
male ferrule uniting the butt and middle joint is ^ of 
an inch inside and 2^ inches long. The female ferrule 
uniting the middle joint and tip is ^ of an inch inside 
and 2^ inches long. One-eighth of an inch may be taken 
off these ferrules throughout the series with profit, if 
the fitting is tolerably good. I vary the position of 
the ferrule, uniting the butt and middle joint consider- 
ably, shortening the butt and lengthening the middle 
joint for stiffer material such as split - bamboo, green- 
heart, or bethabara. These sizes I have used without 
change, and find that with them, in conjunction with a 
forty-one inch split-bamboo tip, I can make a rod of any 
material from nine feet eight inches to ten feet six inch- 
es in length, by varying the position of the juncture of 
the butt and middle joint as aforesaid. The male fer- 
rule on the larger end of the tip is \^^ inches long, of 



176 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

which -jV t)f ''" mQ\\ is cap. The tip I cap, that it may 
C be of the same diameter 



[.■a-'>.-->M.u..u..«uK....,. |jBM^ ^s the small end of the 
A B middle jomt. Ihe cap is 

Fig. 40.-^, male ferrule; /?, cnp; C. united tO the Other por- 
poiut where male ferrule eiuls. ,. „ ,, ~ , , c, 

tion or the ferrule by sort 
solder, and for one -third its length, and the shoulder 
formed witliin is removed by a reamer. 

When these sizes of ferrule are used with ash and 
lancewood, or hickory, or ironwood, the rod, exclusive of 
tip, should be divided into two equal portions, very near- 
ly, to give the best result. These, and the sizes given 
under the head of Bethabara in the preceding chapter, 
will furnish as precise information as it is in my power 
to give. If they are followed, it is not believed any error 
can result beyond correction by local readjustment of the 
taper. But if ignorance of the length and material you 
propose to use, and the style of action you may prefer, 
render it impossible precisely to define the diameters you 
should employ, there are some other points in reference 
to your ferrules which I most earnestly recommend to 
your attention. 

First, your ferrules should by no means exceed the 
lengths already given. You may even reduce them one- 
eighth of an inch with profit, if your fitting is tolerably 
good. The male ferrules to correspond should not exceed 
— butt ferrule, uniting same to handle, l-j%- inches; larger 
end of middle joint l-^-g inches; tip has been already given. 
Why you are thus advised will appear in discussing the 
following points. 

Second, shun the dowel-pin and its socket. 

I am well aware that fully ninety-five per cent, of the 
fly-rods in use are furnished with dowelled ferrules. In 



Rod-making. 



177 



the face of such decided and prevalent custom, full rea- 
sons for the faith that is in me will not be out of place. 
You can then judge between us, and make your action 
conform to your decision. 



A B 

•Dowelled Ferrule: 



C B 

1, end of middle joint; B, end of tip ; C, dowel ; 
D, its socket. 



Fig. 42.— Simple Ferrule. 

You will at once perceive the simplicity of the one, 
and the complexity of the other construction. Properly 
to make and adjust the dowels and their sockets without 
the use of a lathe, requires more skill and care than to 
make a split-bamboo tip. Special tools, at least a special 
reamer for each sized dowel, is absolutely necessary to 
form each corresponding socket — tools altogether dis- 
pensed with if the simple ferrule is used. Unless, there- 
fore, the dowelled ferrule oifer very decided advantages 
over the simple ferrule — unless it is practically impossi- 
ble to make a good serviceable rod without the dowelled 
ferrule, your choice has already been made, and I have 
your verdict. 

But not only do I hope to show that a rod, at least as 
good in every respect, can be made with the simple 
ferrule; but that the dowel is a useless, a mistaken, and 
a disadvantageous construction — injurious alike to the 
action and to the endurance of the rod. Therefore, to all 
of the great brotherhood of anglers who may favor me 
12 



178 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

with their attention, I now address myself, asking but a 
patient hearing and a just and impartial decision. 

1st. It is an elementary principle of fishing lore, that a 
one-piece rod without any joints whatever, is the most 
uniform in action, and efficient in use. But convenience 
of transportation, since it is given to but few to cast the 
fly at their own threshold, precludes such a rod. Never- 
theless it is, confessedly, the ideal rod, and the nearer it 
can be approached, the better. So far there will be little 
difference of opinion. 

Unquestionably the chief feature to which the merit of 
such a rod is due, is the absence of stiff and inelastic 
places therein. Its bend is uniform from one end to the 
other. This can be approached in a jointed rod only by 
reducing the inelastic portions to a minimum; or, in other 
words, by shortening the ferrules to the utmost extent 
consistent with safety. If this is so, it is conclusive that 
the dowelled ferrule is, in this, inferior to one without 
dowels, since not only must the ferrule itself be longer, 
but it must be capped at the junction of the ferrule and 
joint as well, thus further prolonging the unbendable por- 
tions of the rod. 

2d. Though little complaint can now be made of the 
prices asked for good rods, considering the really elegant 
workmanship displayed and the great difficulty and ex- 
pense of obtaining fit material — a difficulty and outlay 
not justly appreciated by the uninitiated — still the pur- 
chaser might with propriety wish the benefit of any 
diminution of cost which neither impaired the value of 
the rod, nor lessened the already reasonable profit of the 
maker. 

The dowelled ferrule and its mate practically consist 
of two ferrules, one cap for female ferrule, nietal dowel 



Rod-making. 179 

fitted to end of joint, wooden dowel within, and on which 
the metal dowel is fitted, boring out recess to receive 
dowel, and lining same with metal. 

The simple ferrule and its mate are two pieces of plain 
tubing, one fitted to enter the other. As the male fer- 
rule in either pase may or may not be capped, such cap 
is not included in the above enumeration. 

Therefore it is clear that, as far as cheapness of con- 
struction is concerned, the dowelled ferrule is at a disad- 
vantage. 

3d. It will not be questioned that a large majority of 
breakages take place at the ferrules. Nor will facility 
of repair be lightly valued by any one who has once 
met with this accident when distant from the repairer, 
and after a considerable journey to his favorite stream. 

To repair the dowelled ferrule on the ground, in camp, 
or at such lodgings as trouting regions usually afford, 
presents these difticulties. If the break is above the male 
ferrule, it becomes necessary to shorten the rod by the 
length of both dowel and feriiile, to say nothing of ex- 
tracting the broken wood from the metal parts, and the 
nice fitting required to make even a temporary success 
of the job. If the ferrule is secured by that abomination, 
a pin, the difficulty is increased. It must be borne in 
mind that not only must the wooden spike, upon which 
the metal dowel is to be placed, be made central and in 
line with the axis of the rod, but it must fill the metal 
nearly or quite its whole length, and also fit tight therein. 
Otherwise, in the first case, the rod will not come together 
so as to be safe against that most disgusting mishap of 
throwing apart ; while in the second case, when the rod 
is un jointed, the metal dowel will remain behind in its 
socket. 



180 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

Again, shortening a favorite rod between the butt and 
middle joint by two inches or more, will so change the 
action as to make its owner fairly sick at heart. 

On the other hand, if the rod breaks below the ferrule, 
he is even more helpless ; for aside from ridding the 
ferrule and cap of the broken portion, how is the tapered 
hole to be bored to receive the dowel ? Yet unless this is 
done somehow, the dowel will strike against the end of 
the joint within the ferrule, and the male ferrule, if it 
enter at all, will not do so sufficiently to permit the rod 
to be used. 

Again and again have I known this accident to occur, 
and never knew it to be remedied short of some kind of 
a shop ; while, except in a few rare cases and with com- 
mon rods of little value, it has been a case of immediate 
quarantine, and subsequent hospital treatment by a pro- 
fessional rod doctor. 

But if a rod provided with the simple ferrule is so 
broken, a few matches softens the cement which retains 
the ferrule in position, the broken piece is pushed out, 
and the ferrule replaced with the very minimum loss in 
length, and that by the merest tyro in repairs. And in 
fifteen or twenty minutes he goes on his way, if not re- 
joicing, still not a fit candidate for a mad-house. Here 
surely the advantage is not with the dowelled ferrule. 

4th. But it strengthens the rod : 

A sane man would hardly anchor a sixteen-foot cat- 
boat with a frigate's best bower anchor, though that 
would undoubtedly strengthen that boat's hold on the bot- 
tom. And so, if without the dowel and its complications 
the requisite strength can be obtained, it would scarcely 
seem common-sense to retain it for that reason alone. 

Through ten trips in Maine I have used the simple fer- 



Rod-maMng. 181 

rules. That on the end of the butt joint is scant two 
and a half inches long, and made from metal of the thick- 
ness of an ordinarily heavy visiting-card, and consider- 
ably thinner than any other make of ferrule that I have 
ever noticed on a fly-rod. Yet I am unsparing in my 
demands upon a rod. When the September sun is just 
about to vanish behind the hills of Western Maine, there 
comes a time when all that gambling spirit which actu- 
ates enterprise in man, takes possession of that angler so 
fortunate as to be on the ground. He wants no third or 
fourth prize in the lottery. His casts are for the first, 
or at least a good second — five pounds, no less, will ^Dass; 
while if beneath the water there is any sense whatever 
of the fitness of things, it is the plain duty of an eight 
or ten pounder to offer. 

At such an appointed time, and it is brief at best, 
minutes are precious, and a two and a half or three pound- 
er — anything which it is humanly possible to derrick 
with the tackle in use — is reeled in and got rid of without 
the slightest ceremony, and with the reverse of thanks 
for its attentions. I have done my share of this with 
simj)le ferrules, and never yet has one bent or given 
way. It is to be borne in mind that before a tube will 
bend it must collapse, and if the rod is so put together 
that the ends of the joints within the metal are close to- 
gether (say one-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch, which 
is quite amjjle to allow for wear), it is plain that to bend 
the ferrule will require a power almost equal to the ten- 
sile strength of the metal itself, a strain to which, in use, 
no fly-rod is ever even approximately subject. It would, 
therefore, appear that in this particular the simple fer- 
rule, properly constructed and applied, is practically quite 
the equal of its dowelled rival. 



182 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

5th. It strengthens the rod ! And this is the only as- 
sertion in its favor 1 have ever been able to elicit. 

But is this assertion true? I believe that it is not 
only false, bnt that the direct contrary is the truth. A 
ferrule may be able to endure any possible strain with 
impunity, while the rod to which it is applied may be as 
brittle as a pipe-stem. Of course the weakest point in 
the rod measures the strength of the rod. 

This is just the case in point. A dowelled ferrule in 
itself is undoubtedly stronger than a simple ferrule, but 
the rod to which it is applied is weakened thereby, and 
is not as strong as it would be were a simple ferrule of 
proper construction substituted in its place. The strain 
brought on the unyielding metal is localized and concen- 
trated at its extremities. The ferrule and its mate act 
as one single lever, in which the power is applied at one 
end, while the fulcrum is at the other. It is elementary 
and axiomic that the longer the lever the greater will be 
its power. If the effort which the lever transmits exceeds 
the endurance of its fulcrum (in this case the timber at 
the lower edge of the ferrule), the latter will surely be 
crushed, i. e., the rod will break at the ferrule. 

This simple principle of natural philosophy seems to 
demonstrate that, other things being equal, the introduc- 
tion of any ferrule weakens a rod, and that a longer fer- 
rule weakens a rod more than a shorter; since with equal 
pull at the tip, more strain is concentrated at the end of 
a long ferrule (or lever) than at the end of a short fer- 
rule (or lever). 

It is a corollary to this that in all jointed rods the 
points where the ferrules terminate, are subject to a de- 
gree of strain considerably in excess of the proportion 
due to their location — or in other words, in excess of the 



Rooi-making. 183 

strain imposed at the same point, nnder like conditions, 
upon a like single-piece unjointed rod. 

Therefore, fracture at those points should be more 
common than at others ; and that such is the fact every 
one knows. Our theory tells us such should be the result 
— our experience shows such is the result. Therefore, it 
would seem the theory has stood the regulation verifica- 
tion by experiment, and that it may be safely accepted 
as sound. 

A dowelled ferrule must of necessity be long ; a sim- 
ple ferrule may and should be short. Wherefore it again 
appears the verdict must be against the dowel. 

But it may be justly urged, the simple ferrule is not 
new; Thaddeus Norris used it years ago, and advocated 
it in his most excellent book " The American Angler." 
You have had your say against the dowelled ferrule. 
What do its adherents, who, you admit, are the large 
majority of anglers, charge against the simple ferrule? 

They charge that the simple ferrule will work loose 
and throw apart, or bend, or burst open when subjected 
to a sudden strain. It must be admitted that in the first 
charge they have the inferential support of no less an 
authority than Mr. Norris himself ; for though silent in 
words, he nevertheless recommends and figures in his 
book ferrules provided with small hooks, so that they can 
be lashed together obviously to guard against this acci- 
dent. 

These are the standing and only objections of those 
who favor the dowelled ferrule; and, if answerable, they 
should be met. They have each, however, one inherent 
weak point. They are each and every of them devoid of 
truth. 



184 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

What man who forms his judgment on the merits, and 
not from prejudice — and it is to such only that it is 
worth while to appeal — will for a moment think of tak- 
ing a poorly - fitted simple ferrule of inferior material 
(when perfect - fitting and good material is easily to be 
had), as a standard from Avhich to form a true opinion 
of its merits ? Would the reader think it fair-play should 
a visitor to his country judge its inhabitants from the 
most debased of the population, and declare that all 
wei-e of that stripe, and that the people of the United 
States were the scum of the earth ? I think not. And, 
as he w^ould justly protest against such an expression as 
an outrage, so do I protest against these charges, and 
for the same reason. 

Besides quite a number that I still retain, there are 
many rods of my own make in use, presents to friends. 
The ferrules of all these are short and without dowels, 
and all made from german-silver tubing drawn inside 
and out. None of them are furnished with any device 
whatever, except the mere cohesion of the inner within 
the outer ferrule, to hold them together when in use. 
Never in twelve years or more of my own experience, 
nor, I believe, in that of those using my rods, has a fer- 
rule either split or bent, or a joint thrown apart. And 
yet I am but an amateur maker, a professional man with- 
out mechanical training, resorting to rod-making merely 
as an amusement. It stands to reason that a trained me- 
chanic could do better work. Besides, the ferrules used 
by me for the last five years Avere drawn too large in the 
first instance ; and in subsequently reducing the diame- 
ter, the thickness was also reduced, resulting in a much 
thinner ferrule that I proposed — certainly not heavier than 
an ordinary visiting-card. Therefore we have not hero 



Rod-making. 185 

ftie best possible of either work or material, as a criterion 
of the merits of the simple ferrule. 

These rods have not been used solely against the small 
fish of the oi'dinary mountain brook, but much more 
largely in those Avaters of Maine where, I believe, it is 
admitted that the American sijecies of brook -trout at- 
tain a size not elsewhere found, or at any rate, only in 
the Nepigon River of Lake Superior. 

In September, 1883, a friend fastened a trout of four 
and a half pounds (weighed to the ounce, and not guessed 
at) in a dangerous place, and not only held him without 
giving an inch of line, but hung to him until his guide 
took the boat into clear water and towed the fish after. 

The rod used on that occasion was a greenheart, with 
split-bamboo tip, nine feet eight inches long, and united 
by simple ferrules made by me during that year, and in 
the manner described. The rod and its ferrules, as far 
as the eye and constant subsequent use could determine, 
were as good as new. 

It will be admitted, I think, that this was a pretty fair 
test. But it by no means stands alone in my remem- 
brance. I could instance dozens of other occasions where 
these ferrules have Avithstood the severest and most sud- 
den strains, and always without damage. 

Should I assert that if a man fell from a window he 
would not reach the ground, but fly off into space, and 
forever after gyrate in an orbit around the moon, you 
would unhesitatingly assert that it was not true. You 
have seen bodies fall before, and are familiar with the 
course they will take. For the same reasons, I assert em- 
phatically that it is not true that the simple ferrule, if 
properly made (and this is a much easier matter than to 
make a good dowelled ferrule), will either throw apart 



186 Fly-rods and Fly-tacUe. 

or bend or split when subjected to any possible practical 
strain. A ferrule of leaden material, and the fitting of 
which is a botch, will give a like result, whether dow- 
elled or simple in construction. 

Still, the charge that the simple ferrule will throw 
apart has some foundation in fact, and it is this : Some 
make and advocate the use of a form of simple ferrule, 
which, for the sake of a name, I will call the " hour-glass " 
ferrule. Bj' this I mean a ferrule in which the diame- 
ter of the bore diminishes from both ends toAvards and 
to the middle. Alive to the fact that a fit is desirable, 
they hope to insure this by thus tapering the bore of the 
female ferrule, and giving a corresponding conical form 
to its mate. 

But let us analyze this construction for a moment. 
We have here a conical plug entering a conical hole. It 
is obvious that the plug may and will enter some dis- 
tance before any contact occurs. It is also clear that 
when contact does take place, but a very slight farther 
insertion is possible before the entering ferrule wedges 
fast. We have then, on one side of the fit and close to 
it, a place where the contact and consequent cohesion of 
the surfaces is nothing; and on the other side, and in 
equally close juxtaposition, the " jam," where the enter- 
ing ferrule comes to a stand. Start such a ferrule ever 
so little, and the frictional contact or cohesion of the sur- 
face is so impaired, if it is not altogether destroyed, that 
it is no longer suflicient to meet and overcome the tenden- 
cy of the rod to throw apart in casting. That a sudden jar 
or shock may produce this result, is shown by a familiar 
example from every-day life. Many have struggled with 
an obstinate glass stopper stuck fast in its bottle. Here 



Rod-maMng. 187 

we have the conditions exactly reproduced — a conical 
plug fitting in a conical bore. Taking the bottle in the 
left hand, and constantly turning it, tap the glass stopper 
alternately on each side with any light piece of metal, and 
in a few moments a cohesion which resisted all the tor- 
sional strain you could apply, is so broken that the stopper 
may be removed with the thumb and finger. 

Conti'ast with this the action of a perfect cylinder. 
Insert it one-eighth of an inch, and it fits; insert it an- 
other eighth, and it still fits, and a due proportion of co- 
hesion is added to that already obtained; enter it fur- 
ther, and still the same result — each fractional advance 
increasing the cohesion of the surfaces, until the limit of 
insertion is reached. 

Now, whether a rod will throAv apart or not depends 
upon the relative proportions of the cohesion of the sur- 
faces of the ferrules one with the other, and the centrif- 
ugal motion imparted to the rod in the process of cast- 
ing. So long as the former is in excess the rod can nev- 
er thi'ow apart. Start the "hour-glass" ferrule at all, 
and the centrifugal motion preponderates. But the cylin- 
drical ferrule may be withdrawn half an inch, and still 
leave abundant cohesion to retain the balance in its fa- 
vor. Ignorance or neglect of these simple and element- 
ary principles have led to the construction of the " hour- 
glass " ferrule, and to the claim that a simple ferrule so 
made is liable to throw apart, I assent. But a simple 
cylindrical ferrule is quite another matter, and when the 
defects of the former are charged against it, guided both 
by practical experience and theory, I insist that those 
charges have no foundation in fact. Nor must it be sup- 
posed that mathematical exactness of form or fit is essen- 
tial to its practical success. I have known of a simple 



188 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

ferrule, uniting the butt and middle joint of a rod, stand 
perfectly for years, in which the female ferrule had been 
changed from the tapered to a cylindrical form solely by 
hammering on a mandrel, and without grinding or finish- 
ing the inner surface in any way. 

Therefore it is believed that the facts fully justify the 
assertion that the short form of ferrule I advocate is as 
much the superior of the long dowelled ferrule in excel- 
lence, as it is in simplicity, and that no other should be 
used to unite the different portions of a fly-rod.* 

Returning now to our subject, and addressing the be- 
ginner only, as before, we anticipate and answer his qnes- 

* Since writing the foregoing, my attention has been called to a form 
of dowelled ferrule, in which the dowel is very short, and the ferrule but 
little longer, if any, than those I advocate. If the dowelled ferrule has 
any merit, this possesses it fully, while beyond increased difficulty of re- 
pair to a break at the ferrule's edge, I know of no objection to its use. 
These ferrules were otherwise so well made, and on such sound mechani- 
cal principles, that it is with pleasure I except them from the preceding 
criticism. The dowelled ferrule has, however, one advantage over the 
other form deserving of mention. At the opening of the season the fer- 
rules of a rod are sometimes found to be a little loose, due to the shrink- 
ing of the rod material during the winter. In such case the dowel so 
wedges any joint to that below it, as to prevent the shake at the points of 
juncture (which would temporarily disable a rod provided with simple fer- 
rules), and the angler may disregard the defect. 

I h.ave spoken, and hereafter speak, of ferrules made from tubing. In 
all cases tubing " drawn inside and out" is to be understood, the process 
of manufacture of which is as follows : A polished steel mandrel is in- 
serted within the tube, which is then forcibly drawn through a die with 
the mandrel still within it. The metal is thus compressed between the 
mandrel and the die, resulting in a considerable extension in length as 
well as reduction in diameter. This condensation by compression is es- 
sential to the required "temper" of the metal. I neither advocate nor 
approve of the use of any tubing in the drawing of which the use of such 
a mandrel is omitted. 



Rod-making. 189 

tion, Where shall I get ray ferrules and rod material? 
My own ferrules have been made from german - silver 
tubing, drawn for me by Mr. John H. Knapp, manufact- 
urer of gold and silver pen and pencil cases, No. 17 John 
Street, New York City. The tubing for the male ferrules, 
as supplied me in the past by Mr. Knapp, has been just 
a shade too large to enter the female ferrule, so as to 
permit nice fitting. This tubing was beautifully drawn 
inside and out, and of good " temper." Mr. Knapp prefers 
that samples should be sent with orders. He can supply 
any size Avhich does not exceed half an inch in interior 
diameter. 

To make ferrules, or even to fit them well, without the 
use of a lathe is a difiicult matter. To buy your ferrules 
already fitted is the better course, if you have not access 
to this most useful of machines. 

Let me, however, strongly advise, if you intend to 
make more than one rod, as soon as possible to adopt 
fixed sizes of ferrules for fly-rods and to adhere to it, for 
thus you will have all parts of all your rods interchange- 
able. The advantage of this is too apparent for discus- 
sion. But, lest the youthful beginner (and to such, re- 
membering my own embarrassments, my heai't goes out), 
to whom money may be an object, may have ordered a 
second set and find it a little different from his first, I 
will give directions for fitting without a lathe, which 
with patience will remedy the defect. 

Let us assume the male ferrule is too large. First 
cement it on a stick to serve as a handle. Then, if the 
difference is great, attack it with your " mill-saw " file, 
otherwise with a " dead smooth " file, or strips of emery 
cloth glued to flat jjieces of wood. In any event finish 
till it will enter a little with the latter. In this filing 



190 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

operation you must by no means put the ferrule in a vise. 
Hold its handle in the left hand, laying the ferrule in a 
shallow groove not over a quarter of an inch long, so that 
if you do not apply the file straight, the ferrule will rock 
a little to meet it. To file flat and true is one of the most 
difticult of mechanical opei-ations, and few even of trained 
artisans ever acquire it. Should the male ferrule be too 
small, insert a round piece of iron which fits it nearly, 
and stretch it with a hammer until too large. Then 
finish as before. 

If, however, the female ferrule is too small, mount it 
on a handle inserted only at that end, and not quite as 
far as the joint is intended to enter. Carefully round a 
stick of such size that when wrapped with emery-cloth, 
to be glued on, it will just fit. Oil the latter, and grind 
out the inside of the ferrule, giving some longitudinal as 
well as rotary motion to the stick. Unless the quantity 
to be removed is considerable, the ferrule should not be 
stretched on a metal rod under the hammer. When you 
have finished, wipe the oil and abraded material fi-om 
your files and emery-sticks, and put them away for future 
use. When the female ferrule is too large, there is no 
remedy for the amateur but to buy another. 

German-silver takes a better temper* — can be made 



* When the amateur, at least, speaks of " German-silver," he is apt to 
suppose that he refers to a fixed alloy of definite characteristics. This 
is not the case. The terra "German-silver" is applied indiscriminately 
to all alloys of copper, nickle, and zinc, with or without lead or iron, 
irrespective of the proportions in which they are combined, or the char- 
acteristics of the compound — color excepted. 

They are by no means equally suited to the angler's use, especially 
for ferrules. The desiderata are malleability, that the alloy may be 
easily worked, and stiffness, that it may retain the form given it by the 



Rod-making. 191 

stiffer by compression — than brass, and it therefore makes 
a better ferrule; but brass is much chea^ier. It, however, 
tarnishes and becomes dirty and repulsive in appearance 
so quickly, that some preventive method of finishing its 
surface is desirable. 

The following receipt I give in " rule-of-thumb " fash- 
ion, as it was given to me. I habitually use it on my reels, 
have used it on all kinds of brass work for years, and 
confidently I'ecommend it as excellent. No veiy extra 
finish of the surface is required. 

Obtain from any druggist a wide-mouthed glass-stop- 
pered bottle, such as chloral hydrate conies in. Have him 
put a pound of commercial nitric acid in this; then take 
it home, drop into it a ten-cent piece, put it in a warm 
place with the stopper loose, and wait till the silver is 
dissolved. This will take some days. Or, if you are 
on friendly terms with the druggist, he can dissolve the 
silver in a very few minutes by boiling it in a portion 
of the acid ; but unless you are accustomed to chemical 
manipulation do not attempt this yourself. After the 
silver is dissolved, add a piece of copper wire about the 
size of an ordinary knitting-needle and about four inches 

artificer under treatment sometliing more severe than the exigencies of 
ordinary use. Either of these antagonistic qualities may readily be had 
at the expense of the other; the first by increasing the proportion of 
copper, or adding lead ; the second by augmenting the quantity of nickle, 
or adding a small percentage of iron. In the one case we have an alloy 
which, though it works easily, cannot be given the required stiffness ; in 
the other a compound excellent as far as rigidity is concerned, but un- 
manageable by the workman. Sixty parts of copper and twenty parts 
each of nickle and of zinc give an excellent color, and is probably the 
golden — or perhaps we should say intliis case, the silver — mean. Less 
than eighteen per cent, of nickle no german-silver should contain that is 
to be used for ferrules. Iron and lead should be excluded. 



193 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

long. This will soon disappear, and the solution is then 
ready for use. Clean all oil from the brass you wish to 
color, either Avith alcohol, ammonia, or brown soap; rinse 
well, and dry. Then secure it to a piece of copper wire, 
and the wii'e to a poker; dip the brass below the surface 
of the solution; withdraw it at once; give a slight shake 
within the bottle to avoid dripping, and heat in a fire as 
quickly as possible. If you have a good alcohol lamp, 
or one of those gas-burners which give a flame of the al- 
cohol character, cither will be better than a fire. Watch 
the piece carefully. It will first turn green, then a black 
speck or two will appear on the surface. This will speed- 
ily spread, until the whole surface is a dull dead black. 
The instant this change is complete, remove the brass 
from the source of heat. The change takes place at the 
temperature at Avhich ordinary tinman's solder melts, 
and hotter than this no ferrule should ever be heated 
after it is soldered together, lest it anneal and lose its 
stiffness. 

Two courses are then open. One is to cool at once 
with water, and then to scrub well with an old tooth- 
brush, holding the brass below the surface till clean; the 
other, less agreeable but giving a better result, is to al- 
low the brass to cool naturally, and then to scrub the 
surface clean in the same manner, but dry. After being 
thus scrubbed, rub well with a dry cloth until all crock is 
removed. You will then have deposited a beautiful soft 
dead surface of black oxide of copper on your brass. It 
has a very attractive appearance, wears very well, and 
when the sharper edges after two or three seasons rub 
bright, you can, if you wish, re-black in the same way an 
indefinite number of times. The whole original expense 
will not exceed fifty cents, and the same solution may 



Rod-making. 193 

be used again and again, till consumed by evaporation, 
and the little withdrawn upon the sui-face of the articles 
dipped therein. Any copper-alloy may be thus blackened. 

THE HANDLE. 

Use a handle with a ferrule immediately above it — or, 
better still, sunk into it — to receive the butt joint, the 
whole so arranged that while the handle remains still, the 
butt joint can be turned readily, so as to present the rings 
either beneath or on top of the rod. One handle will 
thus do for all single-handed fly- rods, heavy or light. 
You can cast wdth the rings underneath or above, while 
the reel always remains in its normal and only conven- 
ient position — that below the hand and under the handle 
— and you can change from one to the other as your fan- 
cy dictates. You can play your fish in the same way, 
changing the direction of the strain in an instant, and a 
dozen times on the same fish if you wish. Also in order- 
ing or making a new rod, you will not only save the ex- 
pense of a new handle and its furniture, but avoid the 
temptation to use strong language when you find your 
old reels will not fit. Again, your rod, even if of in- 
ferior material, will always remain straight and uniform 
in action. 

Next to discarding the dowel pin, I believe this to be 
the most valuable improvement which can be applied to 
the flyrod as at present made. I am aware this con- 
struction is not altogether new; but it is uncommon, while 
its great merit should make it universal. And even when 
employed, it is not unf requently regarded either as a mere 
ornament or as a device to make possible a cheaper or 
lighter handle, while its most important function, the 
ability frequently to reverse the direction in which the 
13 



194 



Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 



strain is brought upon tlie rod, is altogether ignored. Let 
any gentleman have one of his rods, especially if it has 
already taken a set, cut immediately above the handle, 
and a short, well-fitted simple ferrule inserted to reunite 
the divided portions, and then try it for one campaign. 

Of course, to bring the rings above, but half a revolu- 
tion of the butt joint in the handle-ferrule will be re- 
quired, and the line will then wrap in a long spiral half 
way round the butt joint. Now if, in reversing the rings 
to underneath the rod, the precaution be taken always 
to reverse the motion as well, so that the line will then 
lead straight to the rings and not wrap all the way around 
the rod, it (the line) will be found to render equally well 
in either position of the rings. And unless the teachings 
of ten years' practical experience are delusive, the more 
particular he who tries it is in regai-d to his tackle, the 
more certain he is to adhere to it ever after. 

Remember always to oil or tallow your ferrules, espe- 
cially the handle-ferrule, and then wipe them dry before 
jointing your rod. You will then never be plagued by 
having the joints stick and refuse to separate, and your 
handle-ferrule will turn with smoothness and ease, as it 
should. 

All the strain imposed on the rod is transferred to, 
and must be overcome at, the junction of the handle and 
butt joint. It is well, therefore, to give special attention 
to this point. If the ferrule to receive the butt is to be 
sunk into the handle — which is the method I prefer — so 
that only its mouth appears, it should run the whole 
length of the grasp. Otherwise, if you overstrike, and 
on a solid fish, there is danger of splitting the handle. 
With this construction nine and a half inches is long 
enough for this part. In this case, having bored the hole 



Rod-making. 



195 



to receive it, warm the ferrule, coat it with cement, and 
push it into place with a twisting motion. If the cement 
cools by contact with the interior of the handle, and in- 
clines to stick, warm a round metal rod and insert it 
inside of the ferrule. This will re-melt the cement, and 
you will easily be able to enter the ferrule the remaining 
distance. 




jl^JUUj 



If the ferrule is to pi'oject outside of the handle, it 
should not exceed two and a half inches in length. The 
pin on which it sets, and which unites it to the handle, 
should be the strongest part of the rod. Unless the ma- 
terial of which the handle is composed is in itself very 
strong, a piece of ash, or some wood having the required 
strength, should be inserted to fill a hole the whole length 
of the grasp, and glued in place, leaving enough project- 
ing to place the ferrule on. If this method is followed, 
any light wood that suits the fancy will answer for a 
handle — red cedar for instance, or sumach, either of which 
finishes to look well. Or bird's-eye maple may be used, 
and the projection be formed wdth the handle, and of the 
same material, thus dispensing with the labor of boring, 
etc. Curly maple makes a handsomer job, but it is not 
so strong. In this case the handle should be ten inches 
long, measured from the edge of the ferrule, where it 



196 Fly-rods and Fly-taclde. 

comes in contact with the handle, to the extreme end of 
the butt cap. Make that portion of the handle devoted 
to the reel, and which will of course be below the hand, 
as short as you can. It should be equal to the sum of 
lengths of the butt cap, that portion of your reel by which 
it is attached to the handle (the reel plate), and your two 
reel bands. Or you may procure from the same source 
from which you would order your other material, a hol- 
low metal reel seat, which includes in itself butt cap and 
all bands, at about double cost. Then to fit the lower 
end of your handle to it, and cement it on, is all that is 
necessary. 

It is usually recommended to place the reel as near 
the butt end of the handle as possible, since then the 
weight acts more efficiently to counterpoise, and thus 
diminish the apparent weight of the rod. Therefore, 
one end of the reel plate is inserted directly under the 
edge of the butt cap itself, and one reel band, sliding 
from above, confines the other extremity. This arrange- 
ment dispenses with one reel band. It does very, well 
for small fish ; but where those are expected which will 
give from five to thirty minutes' play, no man can stand 
the fatigue of so protracted a struggle at arm's-length. 
The butt of the rod is then placed against the body, and 
when the reel handle is manipulated, a blow in the stom- 
ach is received at each revolution. Influenced by this 
annoyance, I place a fixed band immediately below the 
grasp, under Avhich I insert one end of the reel plate. 
The sliding band, used to confine the other end of the 
reel plate, is placed between this and the butt cap. 

In forming your reel seat, in case you do not use that 
of metal mentioned above, do not endeavor to shape out 
a depression to fit, since to do this neatly reqxiires time 



Rod-makhuj . .197 

and care, and it is difficult to finish ; but simply file the 
place off flat, which will answer every purpose, finish 
easily, and look quite as well if not better. Of course 
care must be used and frequent trial of the fit, that you 
do not take off too much. 

It is better to have your handle turned, than try to 
make it yourself; though you can do so, governing your- 
self by the principles ah-eady given for making your 
joints. In the former case, the hole to receive the han- 
dle ferrule or its support should be bored first, and the 
handle turned on it as a centre, that it may surely coin- 
cide with the axis of the handle. 

After the handle is shaped, and sand-papered nicely, 
wet it and let it dry. This will roughen it — " raise the 
grain," as it is termed. Now take the finest sand-paper 
you have, not coarser than " 0," and smooth it again. 
Repeat this three or four times, using the same piece of 
sand-paper. Then .when dry, varnish with shellac dis- 
solved in alcohol; giving it three or four coats, applied 
at about three -hour intervals. When this is perfectly 
hard, rub it down to the bare wood with powdered 
pumice-stone and raw linseed-oil, applied with a rag. 
This will stuff the grain. Then apply three or four more 
coats of the same, and rub it down in the same manner 
till all brush-marks are removed, and it is perfectly smooth. 
Then polish, first with powdered rotten-stone and the same 
oil, and afterwards with dry rotten-stone. This will give 
a nice durable finish. 

VARNISHING. 

The next step in making a wooden rod is varnishing; 
and for this purpose shellac is the worst, and coach-body 
varnish the best. The object sought is to cover the rod 
with a coating that will be absolutely water-proof, will 



198 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

not crack ; and should it receive a blow, will dent and 
not chip out. The former gives an easy, speedy, and 
poor result; the latter is more tedious, but once on is a 
permanent protection. Rod-makers complain of coach- 
body varnish that it is a very tedious drier, but this is 
mainly because they do not know how to use it. Hung 
up in a room, a thick coat may not be dry enough to 
handle in two weeks ; but if you will be governed by 
the following directions, your patience will not be sub- 
ject to anything like such a tax. 

First fit a plug provided Avith a wire hook to each of 
your ferrules, to hang the joint up by when drying. 
Then apjDly your varnish in as thin a coat as you can. 
This is one of the secrets of success — as thin a coat as 
you can apply. To aid in this, thin the varnish with 
spirits of turpentine until it works freely, and all brush- 
marks flow together readily and soon after apjjlication. 
A stiffish brush must be used. Now, if the weather per- 
mit, hang the varnished work out in the sun and wind — 
the wind especially. It is this that hardens varnish, and 
a coat that will remain " tacky " for a week in -doors, will, 
thus treated, become perfectly hard in twelve hours. Ap- 
ply no second coat till the first is hard, and remember to 
lay it as thinly as you can, and you will have no trouble. 
Apply four or five coats. 

When these are perfectly hard, rub down with pow- 
dered pumice-stone and water, till the surface is smooth. 
Rub the work frequently with a damp sponge to clean 
the surface, that you may inspect your progress, lest you 
cut through the varnish altogether, and be compelled to 
begin again. When this is finished, rub well with pow- 
dered rotten-stone and water, and then polish with dry 
rotten-stone. Wash again to remove any that may ad- 



Bod-maMng. 199 

here, and when dry rub briskly with buckskin or a piece 
of silk. This will give a beautiful and durable finish, 
I use "Valentine's Quick Levelling Varnish," In good 
drying weather, when treated as directed, a coat may be 
applied every twenty-four hours. 

It must be remembered that all wood is hygroscopic — 
i.e., absorbs moisture from the atmosphere ; therefore 
apply the first coat of varnish only after two or three 
days of dry weather. An unvarnished joint which is 
perfection in dry weather, will be found to take a bad 
set after some days of rain, unless it has been where the 
air is artificially dried. 

WRAPPING ON THE RINGS. 

This is the next step in order. Assuming that you 
have never either done this yourself or seen it done, 
the first requisite is the mastery of the " invisible knot." 
In the Chapter on Repairs you will find illustrated 
directions for tying this. Another method is also given 
of accomplishing the same result — the fastening off of 
the silk wrappings. But the acquisition of the true " in- 
visible knot " is strongly recommended, since it may be 
applied in many cases where the other cannot. I believe 
it one of the most important and useful additions that 
the angler can make to his general knowledge of the art; 
and this not only on account of the benefit to your indi- 
vidual self, but because it will enable you to help many 
a brother angler, much your senior in experience and skill, 
out of a scrape, and thus requite him for advice and in- 
struction. The value of aid from the experienced to the 
beginnei", when given at the water's side and rod in hand, 
cannot be exaggerated, and you should lose no opportu- 
nity to avail yourself of such assistance. 



200 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

Therefore, study the Chapter on Repairs carefully, try- 
ing each step practically until it is perfectly familiar. 
Supposing this to have been done, and- that you can now 
not only wrap on the silk but fasten it off as well, let us 
proceed to put the rings on your new rod. 

First as to the sizes to be used. That the rings should 

be largfe is one of the traditions of fly-fishing. While 

this may have been, doubtless was, 

O^^V j^ advisable when a rough horse-hair, 
\^ \J or horse-hair and silk line was em- 
A B C ployed, it is no longer so, since an 

*''?-.^^^:-^. ^'•'i"?"','^ ^''' enamelled water - proofed line with 

middle joint, C lor tips. i 

its polished surface, is practically 
the only thing used. The sizes I prefer are here shown. 

They are known to the trade as Nos. 4^, 4, and 3^, in 
the order given, A being 4^. 

Be liberal in the use of rings. If you seize a piece of 
wood of uniform strength by the ends, and break it, it 
does not give way where it is grasped, but at some inter- 
mediate point. And thus with a fly-rod. By being lib- 
eral in the matter of rings you diffuse the strain, so that 
though its aggregate be great, yet at no place will it 
reach the breaking point. 

Place a ring close to each ferrule and its mate — i.e., 
so that when the rod is jointed a ring will be both above 
and below the unyielding iiietal ; for thus, for reasons 
before stated or implied, you lessen the danger of acci- 
dent at those points. 

I place two rings on the butt joint, one at the ferrule 
uniting it to the middle joint, and one about a foot be- 
low. Seven rings, or even eight, if the joint is very long 
and the butt correspondingly short, I allow for the mid- 
dle joint, and seven for the tip. These rings should be 



Rod-making. 201 

so si^aced, that the intervals between them constantly 
and uniformly diminish from the butt to the tip. 

Now unite your rod and try it in every position, turn- 
ing the several joints till you find that adjustment with 
which the action is best. You will find it in that po- 
sition in which the rod is most flexible, for all flexible 
bodies tend to bend in the line of least resistance. 
If you attempt to force it to bend otherwise by adjust- 
ment of the rings, a compromise between the two, vary- 
ing in proportion at difEerent parts of the rod, will re- 
sult, and the action of the rod will not be fair and true. 
A glance will tell you whether the ferrules coincide with 
the axis of the rod. If they do not, strive to find some 
adjustment that will permit the crook to be set so that 
it inclines upward. Having arranged this, look your rod 
carefully over, and if you find any place where the grain 
appears to run out to the surface, try to bring this on the 
side, and not on the upper or under surface of the rod ; 
for this indicates the natural line of cleavage, or tendency 
to split. The cohesion between the fibres of the wood 
hei-e is much less than their tenacity ; or in other words, 
it would require far less force to split the fibres apart 
than to tear them asunder. When the rod is bent, the 
upper surface, since it is the longer part of the curve, 
must stretch, and the lower, for an analogous reason, 
must condense somewhat. Under a heavy strain, if the 
part in question were placed above or below, the fibres 
would be apt to sejjarate and slide over one another on this 
line, or in other words sjilit; whereas on the sides the 
tendency to this is less, and the fibre must rather rupture 
before the rod can give way. 

Having carefully studied all these points, avoiding 
all the evils you can, and compromising with judgment 



202 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



between those you cannot avoid, make a scratch with a 
pin on the varnish of each joint, to indicate the side 
upon which the rings arc to be placed. Do not trust to 
a lead-pencil mark, since it is too much trouble to find 
this place to risk losing it ; and neither on metal nor 
varnish will such a mark bear much handling. Also 
make the scratch close to the ferrules, where they will 
eventually be covered by wrappings, so as not to disfig- 
ure the rod. Then with a lead-pencil mark the point 
where each wrapping is to begin. 

The next step is to prepare your " keepers ;" for those 
sold are not nearly as good, and are much more difficult 
to manage, than those you can make. Procure a piece 
of sheet-brass or german-silver about the thickness of a 
sheet of good writing-paper. For this you can write to 
Frasse & Co., No. 95, or to Montgomery & Co., No. 105, 
both in Fulton Street, New York City, who can deliver 
it by mail. Twenty-five cents' worth, exclusive of post 
charges, will last for a long time. Cut with scissors a 
strip from one edge If of an inch wide. Heat it red hot 
and let it cool ; this will anneal it, and make it manage- 
able. Now cut off strips at right angles to the length 
and about this width — 



A 



G D 

D, width-keeper for butt; C, same for 



Fig. iQ.—A, nnnealed strip of metal 

middle joint ; D, same for tip. 

The illustration gives the general idea ; but you should 
vary the width a little, that as the diameter of the rod de- 



Rod-making. 203 

creases, the width of your keeper may correspondingly di- 
minish. Next point all your keepers thus 

with scissors. Next lay each point on a ^ ^ -^ 

piece of iron, and thin it with a small 

hammer to obtain the result shown in an exaggei-ated 

manner in the following figure, in which an edge view of 



a keeper so treated is shown. When this is complete you 
are prepared to attach the rings. 

Use such colored silk as you may fancy — scarlet is 
most usual — but of the very best sewing-machine quality. 
Nothing is more disgusting than to encounter a knot or 
other imperfection when a winding is almost complete, 
and thus be forced to undo your work and begin again. 
The size indicated by the letter A is best for butts and 
middle joints ; that known as for tips. 

There are three ways of treating the silk, each having 
its good and its bad features. The first materially 
lightens the labor of winding, and the silk retains its 
color fairly well, but it does not have the hold on the 
rod of the others. 

Take an empty spool, place it on the winding attach- 
ment of a sewing-machine, and reel the silk off from the 
spool on which it came on to the empty spool, drawing 
it through a piece of white beeswax while so doing. 
When this is completed, re- wind the silk on to its original 
spool in the same manner, waxing it a second time. It 
may require a 100-yard spool of A and a 50-yard spool of 
O silk to a rod ; and though some surplus will usually re- 
main, it will not be safe to begin with less, for fear a new 



204 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



spool might be of diiferent color, or assume a different tint 
under tlie wax and varnish. 

Having wound on about four or five turns, insert one 
point of the keeper under these, far enough not to drop 
out when the joint is inverted. This the thinness of the 
point of the keeper will enable you easily to do. Then 




Fig. 49.— -4, joiui; /)'. wiiicliug ; C, keeper. 

wind it on tightly nearly to its middle, with care that each 
turn of the silk lies close to, and by no means overlaps, 
its neighbor. Then holding the turns already made in 
place with the left thumb, bend the uncovered end of the 
keeper upward, thus: 

C 



l"-:^-!-^^.^^ 


iiir->^ % 


Fig. 50.-JI, joiut ; £, wi 


iidiug 


1 

C, keeper ; D, riug. 



and. wind where the ring is to be placed. Having covered 
this (about one-eighth of an inch, a little more or less 
according to the size of the ring), drop on the ring, 
holding it with the left thumb in the position shown at 



Rod-makinq. 



205 



D in the preceding figure. Then bend the free end of 
the keeper down on to the joint, and with the back of 
a scissors or knife apply a sharp pressure close to the ring, 
and this will be the result: 




Fig. 51. — ^, joint; U, winding; C, keeper ; D, ring. 

Then finish the winding, and fasten it off. Next, with 
the handle of an old tooth-brush, or other similar hard 
and smooth substance, polish the winding all over. This 
will smooth down all fuzziness and burnish each thread 
into close contact with its neighbor. If this is carefully 
done, it is wonderful how well a rather botchy job can be 
made to look, unless knots or overlaps are present. Now, 
and not till now, proceed to cut off the projecting end 
of the silk. First give it a pull to be sure the burnish- 
ing process has not loosened the fastening; then strain- 
ing it tightly towards the left, cut it off as close as you 
can wuth a sharp knife. Burnish down the little projec- 
tion left by the end, if any, and proceed to the next ring. 
When all the windings are finished, brush them over with 
a single coat of shellac. Before the shellac has time to 
set, oil the end of the forefinger slightly that the shellac 
may not adhere to it, and smooth the varnish and any re- 
maining fuzziness down by rubbing the winding in the 
direction in which the thread runs. This, I believe, is 
the usual method of the professional rod-maker, though I 
never saw one wind a rod. 



206 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

In the other methods the winding, and the ring, and its 
keeper are all manipulated in the same way, but the bur- 
nishing is omitted. The first of these is to wind with silk 
directly from the spool without waxing, and when the 
joint is finished to varnish with the same varnish as the 
rod. The silk, thus swollen by the varnish it absorbs, 
becomes very tight, and is pasted down and adheres to 
the rod itself; but every roughness of the silk remains 
and is increased, so, though it makes the most durable 
and efiicient job, it looks so badly as to overweigh its 
advantages. 

The remaining method is to wind without waxing the 
silk or burnishing, then to wet the wrapping with hot 
water, and lastly to brush it over with thin glue. The 
silk must first be wet, or the glue will not penetrate and 
bind the silk to the wood as it should. This, as inti- 
mated, fastens the silk securely to the wood, and gives 
it almost the firmness of a metal band. The original color 
of the silk, too, is preserved far better than by any other 
method, and every projecting fibre is glued down smooth- 
ly. It also stuffs the silk so that at least two less coats 
of varnish are required to finish. Were it not for the 
difficulty of handling the slippery silk without neutraliz- 
ing that property by the aid of the wax, this would be 
the best method. But taking all things into considera- 
tion, it is advisable to begin with the first. When you 
make a split-bamboo then resort to this. 

VARNISHING THE WRAPPINGS. 

This is the concluding step. Use the same varnish 
recommended for the rod, though it may be thinned even 
a little more to advantage, at least for the initiatory coat. 
First, with a small chisel-pointed stick, insert a drop of 



Rod-malcing. 207 

varnish under the rings on each side. This is important, 
lest water find its way under the silk and turn it white, 
to the ruin of its appearance. Then apply the varnish to 
the wrapping so treated with a small, flat, artist's bristle 
brush, being careful not to run over on to the polished 
joint. Lay on the varnish in a thin coat, and by no means 
so that it will run. If you have aj)plied an excess, wipe 
your brush dry with a piece of paper, and take it up 
therewith. Treat each winding in succession. Continue 
this process, drying as when varnishing the rod itself, 
until you have a smooth solid surface. Your rod is then 
complete, and the pleasure its use will afford over and 
above even a better one, which is the handiwork of an- 
other, will be at least fifty per cent. 

TIPS. 

Already the importance of having this part as light as 
possible, because of its distance from the hand and con- 
sequent leverage, has been dwelt on. But it must also 
be elastic and prompt in action to pick the fly sharply off 
the water and send it behind the caster without effort, 
since otherwise nice casting, if not out of the question, is 
at all events much more difiicult. 

I know of but two materials at all suitable for tips — 
lancewood and split-bamboo.* They are related in order 
of merit, the former to the latter, as the silver dollar of 
our fathers is related to a five-dollar gold-piece. Many 
amateur rod-makers stand aghast at the idea of working 
split-bamboo, and to make a good six-strip hexagonal rod 
does require considerable skill and judgment. But to 



* Some light-colored greenheart equals lancewood for this purpose ; 
also see Chapter on Rod Material, under head of "Dagame." 



208 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

make a four-strip split-bamboo tip is not a difficult job, 
and one even poorly made is better than one of the best 
lancewood. I strongly advise you to try it if it is pro- 
posed to make rod-making a standing amusement. In this 
case it is better to make, say, half a dozen, one right after 
the other, for if you do botch the first and second, you 
will by that time have acquired the necessary skill, and 
will have your hand in, as the saying is. The others will 
then t\irn out all right. You will then, too, have a stock 
of tips available for any rods you may thereafter make. 

For this purpose you Avill select the butt ends of the 
Calcutta bamboo, that distinguished from other kinds by 
the charred markings on its yellow exterior. Many saw 
their cane into strips, but I believe splitting with an or- 
dinary table-knife the better method. As you examine 
the cane, you will notice on opposite sides and at alter- 
nate joints, depressions where the leaf grew. Through 
the middle of these your first split should be made, and 
the cane be thus halved; then quarter it; next, holding 
each quarter in a vise, remove the remains of the inner 
divisions (which in the cane separate the joints one from 
the other) with a mallet and f-inch gouge. 

To save repetition, you are referred to the remarks on 
making six-strip bamboo rods for such information as I 
am able to give to aid in the discrimination of fit from 
unfit material; but it may be remarked that a tip does 
not absolutely require as good stuff as a butt or middle 
joint, though of course it should be had, if possible. 

Next split your four quarters into strips about one- 
half wider than the inner diameter of the cap of your 
tip ferrule, rejecting the strips in which the eyes left by 
the leaves occur. Or, if the bamboo is excellent and the 
distance between the joints considerable, you may cut 



Rod-maMng. 



209 



out these knots, and splice on a piece to be the smaller 
end of the tip. The process is explained in the Chapter 
on Repairs, This splice should be at least three inches 
long — should be glued, and made with care to insure a 
perfect fit, and that the rind on one part meets that on 
the other. The rind or exterior cuticle should be con- 
tinuous on the longer part of the tip, thus : 



Pig. 52.-^1 , lougei' part of tip ; J5, shorter part of same ; C, rind side ; D, pitli side. 



This splice should not exceed eighteen inches at most 
from the small end of the tip, and must be wrapped with 
silk its whole length when the tip is finished. This is 
only advisable when your bamboo is really excellent in 
quality, and you feel that you 
cannot afford to throw aside 
any that can by possibility be 
made available. Make your 
first effort with your poorest 
material, reserving the better 
till you have acquired a little 
experience. 

Having split out four good 
strips, level off the knots on 
the inside with a rasp, and on 
the outside with a file. Then 
plane off the edges, trying 

to get them as squai-e with the rind side as possible, and 

thus approximate, but only approximate, to your taper. 

The subsequent steps will be facilitated, if all the strips 

14 




210 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



have nearly a uniform taper and width. You will now 
require a couple of strips of pine, say one and a quarter 
inches square, with right angled triangular grooves run- 
ning the whole length, of which the preceding illustra- 
tion is a cross-section. 

A carpenter can plane these out for you, in which case 
have a groove in each surface, or you can build it up by 
uniting two pieces of wood, on the edge of each of which 
one-half of the groove is formed. It is essential that the 
angle at the bottom of this groove be a right angle, and 
that the sides, a a, be equal ; for on the accuracy of this 
depends the accuracy of your result. The former you 
can test with the corner of your square ; the latter by 
your eye. When this is arranged to your satisfaction, 
lay one bamboo strip in the groove in the position indi- 
cated, and plane off to the dotted line in Fig. 54. 




Pig. 54. Fis. 55. 

A^ grooved wooden strip ; C, bamboo strip ; a, riud side, and h, pith side of lat- 
ter ; cc, the dotted line. 

Now change the bamboo, so as to jilane the other edge 
as shown in Fig. 55, like letters indicating like parts. 



Rod-maJcing. 



211 





Treat each strip thus in turn, when you should have 
the result shown by this cross-section, the letters still 
indicating the same parts. The angle at d 
should be a true right angle, to be tested by 
your squai'e. This would be easily obtained 
were the rind side, a (which you must by no 
means touch with the plane), flat instead of 
rounding. If much out, you must true this an- 
gle up by drawing it through a V-shaped scraping notch 
filed in one of your steel scraps. Not only must this be 
a right angle, but the apex must coincide with the mid- 
dle of the strip — not thus, in which the angle, 
d, is clearly off to one side, as shown by the 
d> lack of equality in the sides, bh. This will 
probably bother you more than the other, but 
your scraping notch will easily rectify this. 
It was to allow for this scraping that the taper was but 
approximated to, rather than completed, when planing 
the edges of the strip. 

Now number the strips with a lead-pencil on the rind 
sides, in the order you intend them to go. Then place 
two adjacent strips together 
in the groove, thus : a a be- 
ing the rind as before — that 
is, with the rind side of each 
strip in contact with the 
sides of the groove. It may 
be said once for all, that this 
is always and invariably to 
be the position of the rind 
side when applying the plane 
to the strips. 

Now pass your plane over pig. 55. 




212 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

the exposed sui-face twice, or at most three times. Then 
change the relative position of the strips, placing 1 where 
2 was. The pith sides which were in contact will now 
be exposed, and the surfaces you planed before will be 
in contact. Take off two or three shavings, and then 
return the strips to their original position, and repeat. 
Continue this until the taper and size are very nearly but 
not quite reached. 

Both pairs having been thus treated, melt some fresh 
glue, closely following therein the directions in the Chap- 
ter on Repairs. The glue you so prepare you may re-melt 
for future use three times, and not more. Then wash 
your glue-pot out clean, and the next time start fresh. 
Glass or china makes the best glue-pot, but any small tin 
vessel — an old spice-box for example — will answer till 
the tin rusts through. In the latter case solder on three 
copper - wire legs about one - third of .in inch long, and 
punch a couple of holes near the rim that you may attach 
a wire handle, like that usually used on ])ails. To suc- 
ceed with glue, not only must it be fresh, but in melting 
■it must not be heated above the boiling-point of water. 
Merely placing the glue-pot in another vessel containing 
water, and applying heat to the latter is not sufficient 
to insure this, since the heat may be conducted directl}?- 
through the bottom of one to the bottom of the other. 
In the neglect of these seemingly trifling precautions will 
be found the reason why a violin-maker will unite to last 
for centuries the many parts of his cora2:)licated struct- 
ure, and this with glue alone, and without a single nail 
or screw, while another cannot thus join anything to 
hold even for a few days. Therefore do not fail to raise 
your glue-pot above the bottom of your water-bath, so 
the fluid may surround it on all sides. 



Rod-making. 218 

But we have made undue haste. Before the glue stage 
we must see that we have a ghie joint, that is, a contact 
between the surfaces to be united, so close that the place 
of union is scarcely perceptible. To accomplish this your 
plane-blade must have had frequent intercourse with the 
oil-stone, for in this material more than any other noth- 
ing but ruin can be accomplished Avith a dull tool. But 
no matter how careful you may have been in this, the 
fibre will be more or less roughened at the knots. Smooth 
these by "draw-filing" with your "mill-saw" file, hold- 
ing each strip singly and by itself in the groove. In or- 
dinary filing the file is actuated in the direction of its 
length; but this is not the case in "draw-filing." To do 
the latter successfully, hold the file loosely in the hand 
and close to the blade; extend the first finger so as to 
bear upon the upper surface of the blade, and apply that 
part of the under surface which is beneath the finger to 
the work. Should you grasp the file firmly, and rely 
upon the guidance of your hand alone to direct the file, 
you would probably round the work more or less, there- 
by impairing rather than improving your glue joint. 
But by following the directions, if the file is not proj^erly 
applied at first, it instantly adapts itself to the surface 
beneath ; and this, if flat at first, as it will be from the 
operation of the jilane, remains fiat. 

Now move your file to and fro, but sidetcays instead 
of in the direction of its length. It is important that 
this be well understood, because of its frequent use in 
rod-making. Whenever inequalities occur to which it 
is inconvenient to apply the j^lane, as for example, should 
you so mismanage your rounding scraper as to form 
local ridges, these are removed in this mannei-. 

Having thus removed any local roughness caused by 



214 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 




-^, grooved strip; />, bamboo strip; C, file; arrows show direction of 
motiou. 



the plane, make a loop in the end of a seven-foot piece 
of strong linen thread such as is used in carpet-sewing ; 
pass the loop over a hook secured in any convenient 
manner, place together in their proper position two of 
the bamboo strips which have been planed as a pair, 
and fasten them temporarily together by winding the 
thread spirally from the larger to the smaller end. To 
do this, wind the end of the thread two or three times 
around the strips until caught, and in such a manner 
that it leads from the under side towards the hook ; then 
putting a strain on it, wind it on spirally by turning the 
strips from you. Having wound it, with the turns about 
half an inch apart, to the small end, fasten oif with a 
couple of half hitches. Then examine the glue joint 
carefully that it is a perfect fit ; and this it should be 



Rod-making. 215 

everywhere, except where the plane has torn np the 
grain, if you have brought the bamboo to a knife edge. 
Mark any defective places, and draw - file them till the 
contact is perfect. Treat the other pair in the same 
way ; then tie all four together in their proper order. 



Fi','. 60.— .4, half hitch. 

Scrutinize the accuracy of the joints carefully, and es- 
pecially see that they so unite as to form a solid whole, 
for the outer edges may meet perfectly, while the inner 
are separated by an interval. If you are satisfied that 
the union of all four is perfect to the centre, you may 
proceed to finish your taper (which up to this point 
you have only approximated to), and glue all four to- 
gether at once ; but if you are not positive as to this, 
then glue each pair together separately, winding them 
with strong thread as before. In either case apply the 
glue to each surface, and be sure it is not too thick lest 
it chill and gelatinize before you can complete the wind- 
ing, in which case the glue will not stick. Having com- 
pleted the gluing, heat the entire tip over a gas flame 
or chimney of a kerosene lamp, to re-melt any chilled 
glue, should, by any chance, such be present. Then 
with a second thread re -wind the tip in the opposite 
direction. This will be correctly done if the two 
threads so cross each other as to outline diamond- 
shaped patterns upon the surface of the bamboo ; for 



216 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

during the first winding the tip will probably have be- 
come twisted on its own axis. The second winding will 
tend to twist it in the opposite direction, and thus neu- 
tralize and remedy the defect. This treatment may be 
resorted to with profit, when uniting the parts of any 
split - bamboo joint, no matter of how many strands it 
may be made up. 

Now, to return to the case in which it was deemed ad- 
visable to glue the tip in pairs. Assuming them to have 
been so glued and to have dried, file out from the angle 
near the larger end a concave place to receive the point 
of your drill — thus : 



\ 



B 

Fig. 61.— .1, coucavity ; C, hole. 



Then wind twine tightly on both sides of the concavity, 
that your drill may not split the glue joint apart, and 
drill the hole, B. Insei't a brass pin in the bottom of 
one of the grooves and plane off the flat pith surface, 
until your size and taper are both correct. Treat both 
halves in this manner, glue them together as before di- 
rected, and, when dry, your tip is ready to finish. By 
this latter method solidity is assured, but the tip is not 
so apt to turn out a perfect square as when all the four 
quarters are united in one operation. If, however, you 
accept and act on the sound principle that utility is par- 
amount to beauty, you will uniformly adopt it in every 
case in which the perfect solidity of the union of the 
four strips is suspected. 

To finish, draw-file the surface lightly to remove the 



Rodr-making. 217 

glue ; then draw - file the edges to form an octagon, 
and thus leave it ; or apply your rounding sci'aper to 
make it circular, as you may prefer. Either will answer. 
Next sand-paper, after which fasten on your ferrule and 
tip-ring. Then wind with silk, Avrapping at first four, 
and afterwards three, narrow windings at equal distances 
between each ring. Lastly varnish, finishing with a coat 
or two of what is known in the trade as " flowing var- 
nish," and dry as hei'etofore directed. 

Except where otherwise specified, you will be obliged 
to hold the strips in the groove, when planing, with your 
left hand. Should you set your plane too rank, the strip 
may slide under your hold ; and, since no glue joint can 
be had without bringing the strips to a knife edge, dan- 
ger of a nasty cut is risked. Therefore, hold the strip in 
jjlace by pressing upon it with a piece of leather or rubber. 

Bamboo is very severe on a cutting edge, yet no good 
result can be had unless that edge is keen. Therefore, 
sharpen your plane frequently, giving particular atten- 
tion to this when near the finish of any strip. Other- 
Avise, though it may cut smoothly between the knots, it 
is apt to tear the fibre at those points, and give trouble. 
This is also much more likely to occur if the strips are 
sawed, instead of split out of the cane. 

It is plain that this method is equally applicable to the 
construction of a four-strip butt and middle joint, but in 
this case use a wooden handle, since the formation of this 
from the butt strips themselves will augment the difti- 
culties, without any corresponding advantage. 

HEXAGONAL SPLIT-BAMBOO RODS. 

This is the top notch of the art. 

Up to the pi-esent writing I have never seen a profes- 



218 



Fhj-rods and Fly-tackle. 



sional rod-maker at work on a rod of this kind, nor have 
I ever heard or read any description of the method by 
them employed, except in such vague and general terms 
as to be of little value as a practical guide. The follow- 
ing process is one of some fifteen or twenty I have elab- 
orated, and though it may excite a smile from the pro- 
fessional when compared with his simpler and perhaps 
more certain method, still I can say one thing with con- 
fidence for it — it will, if carefully followed, give the de- 
sired result. 

But more difficult than to make the rod, is it to find 
material of a quality fit for the purpose. For such a 
rod of poor material, even though the workmanship be 
unexceptionable, recalls the remark of Cicero concerning 
Bibulus — " He is a man [it is a rod] upon whom [which] 
no one but a philosopher can look without a groan." 

Good bamboo is very rare, as has been before inti- 
mated. The Calcutta variety is that almost universally 
used in rod-making — that distinguished by the charred 
marks on its exterior. 

In selecting it choose the heaviest canes. Examine 
them narrowly for worm holes, particularly at the knots, 
pounding with the butt of the cane, when in an approxi- 
mately horizontal position, upon the floor, to see if any yel- 
low worm-dust shakes OHt. The effect w^hich these pests 
produce on the cane is singular. They seem to feed on 
the pithy interior only, perforating the rind compara- 
tively but seldom. But where they have crossed the 
fibre, though the exterior is apparently unaffected, still 
the strength at that point is absolutely destroyed. No 
strip so marked, even at but one single point, must ever 
be introduced into a rod, for there it has not the strength 
of the weakest pine. Make this a matter of principle at 



Rod-making. 219 

the outset, for you will often be tempted to use a piece 
excellent in all other respects, except that one little trans- 
verse groove on its inner surface. But you must resist the 
temptation, or you sacrifice the one merit which amateur 
work should always have — honesty. 

Next examine the cane, to see how much available ma- 
terial it contains. The opposite sides, marked at the 
knots by the eyes where the leaves once grew, are al- 
ways worthless. Therefore, direct your attention to the 
intermediate portions. Scrutinize the burns carefully, 
for if these are so deep as to destroy the cuticle, the 
strength has been destroyed as well. One deep burn 
may utterly ruin a cane otherwise excellent. Next see 
that it is fairly straight, and the knots not too protuber- 
ant. Then look to the color of the cuticle. A boxwood 
yellow is a good sign, while a uniform, or partly uniform, 
bluish cast of color is a bad indication. Neither of these 
color rules are, however, without frequent exception, so 
if everything else seems propitious, you may risk a de- 
fect in this. 

I am aware that a bluish color is usually regarded as 
fatal, while a bright straw-colored interior is considered 
an equally sure indication of merit ; and I have reason 
to believe that the conscientious maker not unfrequently 
rejects or accepts his material on these characteristics 
alone — exterior defects of course excepted. During the 
last fifteen years I have split very many canes, and never 
without applying the tests described in the following par- 
agraph. One of the strongest and most elastic bamboos I 
ever saw was decidedly off color. While running a rapid 
stream in a canoe last September, I was thrown backward 
from my seat by a tree which had fallen across the stream. 
We thought Ave could squeeze under it, and thus save the 



220 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

trouble of hauling the canoe over the obstruction. AVe 
discovered our mistake only when fully committed to 
abide the result. My rod, a hexagonal split-bamboo nine 
feet and eleven inches long, and between seven and eight 
ounces in weight, and of my OAvn make, lay upon the 
thwarts of the canoe, so that it might not become en- 
tangled in the overhanging bushes and trees, under which 
the tortuous channel frequently compelled us to take our 
way. I fell with the Avhole weight of my body upon the 
middle joint, striking it between the thwarts, there some 
three feet apart, and where the bamboo had nothing but 
its own strength to oppose to the shock. But two of the 
six strands gave way, and those splintered in such a fash- 
ion that they were readily returned to position, and, with 
the aid of a little glue, the joint was restored to its pris- 
tine strength and usefulness. Such is the strength of this 
material when really first-class. Yet the bamboo of which 
this joint was composed was quite blue in color. 

I theorize in regard to this matter in the following man- 
ner, and deduce the following conclusion : A cane may 
discolor from a fermentation, or analogous change, in 
its own constituent elements ; or from contact with a 
discolored fluid. If the cane is free from sap, it is but 
a bundle of capillary tubes, and the immersion of one 
end of these tubes in such a fluid would cause them to 
be filled by it, in accordance with well - known natural 
laws. In the first case the change in color would indi- 
cate a change in structure, while in the second it would 
but show the presence of foreign coloring matter, not 
necessarily more injurious than the dust upon a shelf is 
to the strength of that shelf. My conclusion, based upon 
this theory, and so amply confirmed by actual experiment 
that I assert it with as much confidence as any other 



Rod-maMng. 231 

declaration in this book, is that the tests described in the 
last paragi-aph below are the only sure guide to a correct 
conclusion as to the quality of bamboo, and that they 
should never be omitted, I desire to be quite emphatic in 
the expression of this opinion, that the beginner may take 
it to heart, and make it a cardinal principle in split-bam- 
boo rod-making. 

Again and again have gentlemen selected bamboo for 
me, who insisted and believed that they could discrimi- 
nate at a glance between the fit and the unfit. This I 
knew I could not do. The event has invariably shown 
that the utmost value which could be given to the choice 
was a balance of probability in favor of its correctness, 
and by no means the certainty of excellence which should 
always precede the expenditure of the skill and labor re- 
quired in this work. Remember it is just as difiicult to 
make a rod from poor stuff as good, and that the first, no 
matter how exquisite the workmanship, will be as infe- 
rior, practically, to the poorest wooden rod, as a split-bam- 
boo of first-class cane is superior to the best that can be 
constructed from any other known material. 

Five feet from the butt end will be all you can use, 
unless the cane is unusually large. Next split with a 
table-knife, as directed under " Tips," and get out the 
strips which include the " eyes " from which the leaf 
grew, and which, though worthless for rod-making, are 
invaluable for testing purposes. First bend them with 
the rind concave, and thus determine how elastic it is. 
Most bamboo will, however, respond to this test pretty 
well. Then bend them with the rind convex. Here 
they will "take a set" — ^. e., not recover entirely. If 
this is considerable, more seasoning is required, and the 
cane is not yet fit to put in a rod. If it is slight, and 



232 



Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 



the strip feels prompt to recover, and sprightly, it is all 
right so far. Now test the strength by breaking both 
strips at short intervals throughout their length. If they 
uniformly break gradually and with difficulty, and with a 
splintering and broom-like fracture, the bamboo is good ; 
but if, as will more frequently be the case, they break 
short off, and the bamboo slivers but little, they are 
worthless. Any cane which has strength, but is deficient 
in elasticity, tie together with the interior exposed to 
the air, label it "strong but not elastic," and store it 
away till further seasoning cures this defect ; but if 
wanting in strength, saw it up for kindling - wood, and 
be rid of it. 

Now let us assume that six good strips have been ob- 
tained. Arrange them side by side, so that no knot is 
abreast of another — " slip the joints " as some term it — 
and cut off to the proper length, or an inch in excess of 
that. File off the knots, and square up the edges as di- 
rected in the preceding section, approximating closely 
to the taper and width. Now a little tool-making is in 
order. 




Let the diagram above represent your smaller "Bai- 
ley " plane. Drill two holes through the sides {A A), 
so as to admit the passage of a |-inch round-headed 
wood-screw, and this so that the interior construction 



liod-maMng. 



223 



of the plane will permit the screw to be inserted from 
within outward — i. e., so the head is inside, and the 
point appears on the exterior of the plane. It will be a 
close shave at the handle end, but it is possible. Any 
one who has a lathe will do this for you in five minutes. 

Now consti'uct the following diagram, or as much of it 
as may be considered 
necessary to obtain 
the result indicated 
hereafter: 

A i-epresents a 1:^- 
inch strip of pine, 
four feet long ; B 
your Bailey plane, of 
which C is the bot- 
tom and D D the 
sides; J^ an equilat- 
eral triangle, which, 
since all sides ai-e 
equal, must also have 
equal angles of sixty 
degrees each, and this 
is the angle you re- 
quire; i^'an end sectional view of a block of wood, to be 
screwed to the side of your plane; and the object of the 
diagram is to enable you to so set a bevel square, or to so 
cut a piece of thin sheet metal, as to guide you in ob- 
taining the angle; G, on such a block. 

It is clear that if a piece of bamboo is rigidly confined 
in the rabbet of the strip. A, and your plane is applied 
with a block {F), so formed, attached, that if the bottom, 
H, of that block rests on your planing board while the 
plane is actuated, it must produce the proper angle of six- 



x 


4S 


'fit 


1 


wn 

i v\\ 



H 



224 



Fly-rods mid Fly-tacJcle. 



ty degrees. Unfortunately these conditions are difficult 
to produce exactly in practice, for the rind side of the 
bamboo, which rests on the bottom of the rabbet, and 
which must in this, as in all the steps of rod - making 
with this material, by no means be touched with the 
plane, is not flat but -rounding, and is consequently in- 
clined to roll somewhat and thus vary the angle. There- 
fore we must devise some means of holding the bamboo 
during this j^rocess as rigidly as possible. 

Having procured two or three of the rabbeted strips, 
A. screw two cross-pieces to the upper surface, about 
twenty -four inches apart — as shown in the following 
plan and sectional views (Figs. 64 and 65), in which A 




Fig. G4. 



represents the strip, B B the rabbets, and C one of the 
cross-pieces : 

If then the bamboo strip is placed in position, and 
soft wood wedges be inserted between its upper surface 
and the cross-pieces, it will be held as firmly as one can 
well secure it. Then apply the plane as directed, and bev- 
el off as much as you can of the bamboo lying between 
the cross-pieces, say about eighteen inches. Bring the 
bevel almost, but not quite, to a knife edge with the rind 
side. Then shift the bamboo, so as to present a fresh 



Co < < ^ 



Bod-maMng. 325 

surface between the cross-pieces, proceed as before, and 
repeat this until you have one side of the strip 
bevelled its whole length. Then turn the bam- 
boo strip end for end, and finish the other side 
in the same manner. This should be the result 
(Fig. 66), A being the rind side ; B the apex 
of the angle formed by the two pith sides, C C. 

Now test your angle, B, with a notch filed in a piece 
of brass with an ordinary triangular saw-file — that vari- 
ety known by the astonishing name of a " three-square " 
file is meant. This file having three equal sides, must 
have three equal angles, and consequently the angle we 
wish — viz., sixty 
degrees. It would 
be well to file such 

a notch, and also ' Fig.er. 

an angle to fit it, as 

shown by Fig. 67, and keep them for permanent use as 
gauges. 

Now we will suppose that the six strips have been 
bevelled. The gauge is applied, and we will assume 
that you find the angle either incorrect or " lop-sided." 
File up two or three scraping notches in a scrap of your 
saw steel (mentioned near the beginning of this chapter) 
Avith your triangular file, and 
holding the steel in the vise, 
draw the strip through one of 
these notches, being careful to 
insist that the rind be horizon- 
tal. Thus true the angle wher- 
ever it may require it. The 
accompanying illusti'ation rejDresents such a scraper. 

It is obvious that it is possible, and for a first effort 
15 



226 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

or if but a single rod is proposed, it may be profitable, 
to employ this scraper alone to bring us tbus far on our 
way, instead of preparing the plane and providing the 
rabbeted strip, as heretofore described. Or one fairly 
skilled in the use of the plane may place his square strip 
of bamboo in a groove, as shown under the head of 
" Tips ;" but the groove, however, must be one of sixty, 
instead of ninety degrees as there shown. Then by 
using the plane as there described, aided by frequent 
resort to the gauge shown in the preceding figure, he 
may accomplish the same result with far less labor than 
if the scraper alone were relied on. The object sought 
is to obtain a true angle of sixty degrees opposite the 
middle of the rind side of the piece of bamboo in hand 
— not to make a glue joint, which is a subsequent step. 
I have successfully used all these, and many other ways 
to accomplish this result, and doubtless additional, and 
possibly better methods still, will suggest themselves to 
the ingenious reader. 

Next you must provide some grooved strips differing 
from those described in the preceding section, only in 
that the angle at the bottom of the groove must be sixty, 
instead of' ninety degrees. 

You will be compelled either to order, or make your- 
self, a special plane to make this groove, or to build up 
these strips of two pieces, glued or screwed together. 
Assuming you have chosen the latter course, you will at 
once pei-ceive your Bailey plane with its block attach- 
ment will be a great aid. For if it will, Avhen applied as 
directed, give the proper angle to a strip of bamboo, it 
will serve the same purpose when applied to a strip of 
wood. So procuring two pieces of wood, take off the cor- 
ners, as shown by the dotted lines (Fig. 69), and fasten 



Rod-making. 



327 



them together. If the angle is incorrect, remove the 
handle of your triangular file, and rub it to and fro in 
the groove until the error is rectified. 




Should you conclude to order a j^lane for the purpose, 
consult a hardware dealer or a carpenter as to the 
maker. My plane cost $1.90. Make a sample of the 
groove you wish, and send with order, to lessen the pos- 
sibility of mistake. 

The grooved strips in which you intend to finish the 
component parts of each joint should be of hard wood — 
pine will serve for the others. For since a joint of this 
kind cannot well be altered after it is glued togethei', it 
is plain the taper and consequent action of the rod must 
be determined at the same time with the angle, and this 
without the opportunity for trial and local modification 
which a wooden rod affords. Therefore some definite 
rule for this must be established at the outset. Perhaps, 
all things considered, a true taper for each joint promises 
the most certain result — at all events for the middle 



228 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

joint and tip. The butt may be modified a little, to di- 
minish its stiffness neai* the handle. 

\Yith a hexagonal piece of hard wood, tapered some»- 
what, aided by a small hammer, give an hexagonal form 
to that end of all of your ferrules Avhich is to overlie a 
joint. A careful measurement of these will give the 
■width of each end of each strip. Then, having deter- 
mined the length, with your largest Bailey plane, plane 
off the grooved side of the strip until the groove corre- 
sponds with that width at the pi'oper points, and tapers, 
or narrows, uniformly between those points. Though no 
guide but the eye regulates the process, it will be found 
sufficient, provided care be used and undue haste to fin- 
ish be avoided. Remember it is easier to take off than 
add on, and therefore use your utmost vskill and patience. 
Have your plane-bit keen, and set it " fine" towards the 
finish, frequently " sighting " the groove, as thoiigh it 
were a rifle, during the progress of the job. You cannot 
be too careful, for you are noAV deciding the action of 
your rod, and whether it shall be good, bad, or indiffer- 
ent. This being properly completed, place each strip in 
turn in one of the pine grooves, selecting one above the 
surface of wliich the bamboo projects but little, and take 
off a shaving, first on one side and then on the other, 
alternately. When the bamboo is worked down to a 
level with that groove, change to a shallower, and so con- 
tinue till you think it is time for the finish. When all 
the strips are in this condition, put the keenest possible 
edge on your i>lane-bit, and set it "fine." Mark the sur- 
face of your appropriate finishing grooved strip all over 
with a lead-pencil, or otherwise, so that nothing can be 
taken from it by the plane without attracting your at- 
tention at once. Then plane down ^ach strip, first a 



Rod-making. 229 

shaving from one side and then one from the other, and 
thus alternately, until the strip is flush with the surface 
of the groove as it lies within it. Lest you should unin- 
tentionally remove, during this process, something from 
the grooved strip, and thus destroy the integrity of the 
groove, which is the sole guide to the required taper and 
width of the bamboo itself, you were directed to mark 
the surface ; and that should this accident happen, that 
it may be of as little moment as possible, hard. rather 
than soft wood was advised for the finishing grooved 
strips. 

Not only should the glue joints be perfect, and the ac- 
tion true, but a well-made hexagonal rod should present 
a perfect hexagon at every part of its length. There- 
fore all those strips which are to be united together must 
everywhere correspond in width. This, as well, is deter- 
mined by your finishing grooved strips. Indeed I may 
say they are the key to the position, therefore see to it 
they are well made. 

Now proceed to number each strip in its intended or- 
der, to wind them together with string, to examine the 
character of your glue joints, to draw-file the imperfec- 
tions, and finally to glue them together, straighten them, 
and in all things relevant follow the directions for mak- 
ing foiir-strip tips, as given in the preceding section. The 
process of winding on the rings is elsewhere described 
in this chapter, as well as varnishing, except that the 
winding should precede the varnishing, and the rubbing 
down Avith pumice-stone should be omitted. Between 
each ring a number of narrow windings should be placed 
at any distance, less than three inches on the butt, that 
may suit the fancy. The interval between and width of 
these windings should gradually diminish towards and to 



330 Fly-rods and Flij-tackle. 

the end of the tip. When about to glue together, num- 
ber each strip on each of its faces, so you can select 
the proper one at once. Get the assistance of another 
if you can, apply the glue to each strip in turn on both 
sides for half its length, then as they are taken up one 
after the other, before you lay each beside its neighbor, 
run the glued surfaces over a gas or lamp flame to re- 
store the glue to perfect fluidity, and then wind as di- 
rectedfto within about three inches of where the glue 
ends. Then, your friend holding the strips apart, apply 
the glue to the remaining surfaces, warm as before, par- 
ticularly near where the first gluing ended, and wind 
together as directed. 

Four-strip tips will work in perfect harmony with a 
hexagonal butt and middle joint. Indeed the tip, so long 
as it be light, and nervous in action, is the least impor- 
tant part of the rod. I assume that an independent han- 
dle will be used, whether united to the butt joint Avith a 
ferrule, or permanently glued thereto. 

I finish this chapter with many misgivings. At one 
moment I fear I have been prolix beyond endurance, at 
the next, lest some important step has been overlooked, 
taken by me as a matter of course, but not necessarily 
so by the beginner for whose benefit I have written. I 
can well imagine the smile with which the professional 
rod-maker will regard my doubtless clumsy and unnec- 
essarily elaborate methods. In self-defence I can only 
say that beyond what I was able to gather from Thad- 
deus Norris's "American Angler," I have never had the 
advantage of advice or assistance in rod-making. Each 
step has been sought and found through much experi- 
ment, and many a failure. Simpler and better methods 



Rodrmaking. 231 

there well may be ; but one thing I know, though the 
way may be devious the end is sure. 

If others, in following the precepts of this chapter, shall 
derive therefrom some portion of the recreation rod- 
making has afforded me — if the coming generation of 
anglers feel towards me but a tithe of the gratitude and 
sense of obligation with which I regarded Mr. Norris 
when I was a beginner, I shall be quite content with the 
reward of my labor. 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



CHAPTER VIII 

REPAIRS. 

This chapter has been written on the assumption that 
the reader is utterly ignorant of this most important 
branch of the art. That such actually is the case with 
altogether too many who are otherwise experts, we all 
know. That such should not be the case we are also aware. 
Nothing in relation to the art will better repay the be- 
ginner, and those who lack this information, than a care- 
ful study — not merely reading over, but careful study in 
the scholar's sense of the term — of this chapter. For to 
say nothing of benefit to youi'self at a crisis, what pleas- 
ure can be greater than to be able to rescue a brother 
angler from the consequences of disaster to his tackle, 
and to receive thanks which you know are really sin- 
cere and heartfelt. At the expense of a little trouble, 
nay, rather while amusing yourself, you have at the same 
time made a friend, and put him on the watch for oppor- 
tunity to requite the obligation. 

But it is to the first of these inducements we most 
confidently appeal; for if that elicits no response, a moral 
defect is evidenced fatal to the hope that that man will 
ever become a true angler. 

Many think this art hopelessly intricate, and are dis- 
couraged from any effort to acquire it ; but this is a 
great mistake, for there is nothing in it insurmountable 
to the humblest mechanical skill. The most common 



Repairs. 233 

error is to attempt the result, while utterly ignoring the 
means by which the result is to be obtained — as though 
a man should wish to keep books without first learning 
how to write. 

First acquire a few very simple princijiles, and the rest 
follows "like rolling off a log." 

As we said before, this chapter is written as addressed 
to one utterly ignorant of this branch; and this for two 
reasons : first, because for the benefit of such it is in- 
tended; and second, because it is the most direct way to 
accomplish the end in view. 

At the foundation of the majority of repairs lies cov- 
ering and strengthening the injured part with a layer of 
silk thread, tightly wrapped around it. It is thus that 
rings are secured to rods, and breaks repaired. 

Do you know how to wind, a string around a stick? 
That is what we are about to do. But if you really wish 
to learn from what follows — if you really wish for suc- 
cess, you must, as in your every-day life, accept the con- 
ditions of success. 

As to knots, and manipulations of that kind, the con- 
dition of success is this : Actually try each step with 
the book before you, and following its directions ; be 
sure you understand that step before you essay the next. 
Thus you will be led to the goal as easily as you walk 
from your parlor to your dining-room, with hardly an 
appreciable effort. But if you attempt to cover the 
ground in either case with a leap, you court and will 
meet failure. 

Now to our lesson (see Fig. 70). 

Take a round cane and a piece of fish-line — or string 
of similar size. Wax your string. It will facilitate you. 
Hold the cane in your left hand, knuckles up and thumb 



234 



Fly^'ods and Fly-tackle. 



to the right. Place the end, A, on top of the cane some- 
where near the middle, and nip it at B with the thumb 
to keep it in place. Bring the end C over the cane on 




Fig. TO. 



the side towards you, and downward ; next under the cane, 
and upward, but on the side away from you ; then over 
the top of the cane and the end A, and hold C in your 
right hand. In brief you have wrapped the part C once 
around the cane and over the part A, confining that part 
to the cane. Now placing some part of the cane to the 
right of where you have begun to wind, behind any- 
thing, E, against which you can pull, proceed to turn the 
cane around on the axis of its length, keeping a steady 
strain on the end C with your right hand. You thus 
roll the line upon the cane, just as thread is rolled on a 
spool, or a rope on a Avindlass, drawing your right hand 
up to the cane, unless you allow the line to slip through 
your fingers. You will have no difficulty in guiding the 
part C, so that each turn shall lie in close contact Avith 
its predecessor. 

You have rolled on four complete turns, which envel- 
ope the cane and the part A (Fig. 71), confining the lat- 



Rejpa 



irs. 



235 



ter to the cane. Now shift your left thumb over upon, 
and nip the coils you have just made, c, so they cannot 
unwind. Seize the end A, and draw the slack of the first 
turn, h, up to and against the others. Then continue 

A 
B ^^ 




your winding for any desired length, always doing this 
by using the cane as a roller, turning it from you. You 
will make each succeeding turn lie more neatly against 
its predecessor, if you allow your right hand to be 
drawn up to the cane, rather than permit the line to slip 
through your fingers. When shifting the right hand 
backwai'd for a fresh hold on the part C, nip the turns 
you have completed with the thumb of your left hand, 
lest they unwind ; as, indeed, you will do in any case 
when you wish to free your right hand for the moment. 

We have now completed the first step. You see that it 
is a simple matter, and one within the scope of the most 
limited mechanical ability. Notwithstanding, repeat this 
at least four times more, winding an inch and a half each 
time, before proceeding to the next step. 

This is to fasten off the end C, for we cannot hold it 
forever. 

There are two methods of accomplishing this — one 
easily acquired but of more limited applicability ; the 



236 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



other a little more difficult, but at the same time equal 
to every emergency. 

The first consists merely in this — that instead of plac- 
ing the end A as before, you double it as shown in the 
following figure, placing the bight, a, where the end A 




was in the former case, and letting the actual end A ex- 
tend at least three or four inches to the left of where 
you wish to wind. Having completed your winding, nip 
the coils with the right thumb. Then Avitli the left hand 
pull on the end A until you have reduced the bight, a, 
to very small dimensions — say one-quarter of an inch oi' 
less. Now with the right hand cut the part C about two 
inches in length, and insert the end through the bight, «, 
close to the winding. Then seizing the end A, draw the 
bight, a, through and under the winding, which will of 
course carry the end C with it, and confine it under the 
coils. Then cut off the ends close, and the job is com- 
plete. Try this at least four times, and then proceed to 
the next step. 

This is the real " invisible knot," and a knowledge of 
it should be considered absolutely indispensable to the 
angler. Begin as before. Having wrapped four or five 



Rejjyairs. 



337 



times over the end A, so that it is perfectly secured, 
out it off as close as you can to the wrapping, so that 
you have only the end C i-emaining. Now proceed 
with the winding until within four turns of as far as you 
wish it to extend ; then nip the coils already made with 
the left thumb so they cannot unwind, cutting off the 
end (7, so that it is about a foot long. Now drop it 
down between you and the cane, next under and then 
upward behind the cane, so as to form a loop, say, three 
inches across, hanging below the cane, thus : 




If you meet any difficulty at all with this knot it will 
be here. Remember the end C passes downward on 
the side towards you, and upward on the side aioay from 
you. Hold the cane, as soon as you nip the coils with 
your left thumb, so that hand points to the right, and 
the first and second fingers are free. ThroAv the large 
loo]! over those fingers to keep it open. Then make 
three or four turns of the end G, between the point 
where the large loop meets the cane, a, and tlie wind- 
ings you wish to fasten, b, winding towards the latter. 
You will find this operation facilitated by throwing the 
end C at every turn, after making the large loop, be- 



238 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

tween the first and second fingers of the left hand, 
holding it thus until you can reach over the cane with 
the right hand, and draw the end C through the loop. 
Now pass the end C to the left, under the left thumb, 
and hold it down on the windings already made, h ; 
then hook your right first finger in the large loop, and 
putting a strain on it, revolve the cane and proceed with 
the Avinding as at first. You will thus wind on as many 
turns over the end C as you made between a and h, 
and in close contact with those you wish to fasten. For 
every wind you so add you will, if you have followed 
the directions carefully and correctly, see one of those 
between a and h unwind, and will at length have the 
result shown, thus : 




Now seize the end C, and draw up the slack of the 
large loop until it lies in close contact with the windings 
you are fastening. Cut off the end as close as you can, 
and it is done. Repeat this until firmly fixed in your 
mind, and you have made an acquisition that will many 
times repay the trouble. 

Now let us apply this lesson, taking at the same time 
another step forward. 



Repairs. 339 

Scene, — Trout- stream. 

Angler, meeting a very melancholy-looking individual xvitli the frag- 
ments of a trout-rod in his hands; Novice, equipped for fishing , but 
with a irolcen rod. Time, 8 a.m. 

Angler. Good-morning, sir ; what luck ? 

Novice. The trout ai-e rising fairly well; I have caught 
a iew nice ones. But I have just had the misfortune to 
break my middle joint about a foot below the smaller 
end. I have come a long distance to enjoy a couple of 
days' fishing, and my opportunities are few ; and as I 
have no spare j)iece to take its place, I am afraid my fish- 
ing is at an end unless I take to bait, and for that I have 
little taste. So I suppose I may say I have had poor 
luck. 

Angler. Plow did it happen ? 

Novice. It may be I was using too long a line for the 
distance I wished to cover. I saw a nice-looking spot, 
and when I cast, my flies reached the water considerably 
beyond it. Instead of shortening my line, I undertook 
to draw my flies across the spot ; and when my rod was 
nearly upright, a nice fish struck my drop-fly, and you 
see the result. I am but a beginner, having fished with 
the fly but a few times before, and am self-taught ; I 
suppose I must expect to make mistakes, but it is none 
the less provoking to lose all the sport which I had an- 
ticipated with so much pleasure. 

Angler, Many a good rod is broken in that way. 
Let me see the break. Why, this is not so bad. Why 
don't you splice it ? 

Novice. I don't know how. 

Angler. Have you silk, wax, and a file in your fly- 
book? 



240 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

Novice. No, I have nothing of the kind, I am sorry 
to say. 

AxGLER. It will make no difference, for I have them. 
And since you say you are a beginner, I will repair this 
accident for you, and at the same time give you a few 
hints which may be of value in the future. 

Novice. I shall be very much obliged if you will be 
so kind. 

Angler. It is, or should always be, a pleasure for one 
angler to help another ; so look and listen, and if there 
is anything you do not understand stoj) me at once. But 
first I would say, never go on a stream again without 
plenty of silk, of the sizes known in the stores as A 
or B^ in your fly-book, together with a little cobbler's 
wax flattened out between the folds of a piece of an 
old kid-glove. A quantity of wax which, if si^herical, 
would measure half an inch in diameter is about the 
thing. Also you' should have a flat file of rather coarse 
cut, and with the blade from five to six, inches long and 
from one -half to three-quarters of an inch wide, like 
this. You see the tang is broken off the file, and thus 
shortened I can carry it in my fly-book, and never know 
it is there till I need it for use. 

Now see ; I take my pocket-knife, and cut a long slope 
on each of the broken ends, being careful to make them 
incline in different ways, and of such slope that when 
they are laid together the rod will not be larger than 
before. I also see to it that the splice is so situated, that 
the rings on the two pieces will be in line when they 
are united. There, I have finished cutting, and you see 
when I place the pieces together the rings are in line ; 
but you also notice that the joint is not a very good fit. 
Now we will resort to the file. You notice that I lay 



Sepairs. 241 

the file down and place the splice upon it ; and while 
rubbing the joint to and fro on the file, I press the 
wood down upon it with the fingers of my left hand. 
From time to time I look at the splice, and see how the 
filing progresses. 



Fig. 75. — A B, portious of broken joint; C, splice. 

The file will cut most rapidly where the pressure is 
greatest, so that by varying the pressure with a little 
judgment, the splice is soon made perfectly true, as I 
have done this. Now we will finish the other ; so, there 
they are complete. Now place them together and see 
what you think of it. 

Novice. They fit perfectly. The rod is not enlarged 
and the rings are in line. I am astonished that it could 
be done in so short a time, and by means so simple. I 
really believe I could do it myself.* 

vA.NGLER. Without the slightest doubt. In mechanics 
as in life, skill consists in adapting your means to your 
end ; the desired result then almost necessarily follows. 
You see that when I rubbed the splice on the file only 
the high places touched. Of course these were soon cut 
away, and the surface became even of itself, so to speak. 

Now we have to unite the splice, and you will then be 

.* If the means or the skill to make a perfect fit are wanting, the splice 
should be so made that the joint is there enlarged ; otherwise it may 
be "soft" at the splice — i.e., inferior to the neighboring parts of the rod 
in stiffness — when it will almost certainly give way again. Subsequent- 
ly, and under more favorable circumstances, the splice can be taken 
apart, properly fitted, and permanently repaired with glue. 
16 



243 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

ready to continue your sport. If this was in the even- 
ing I should melt some fresh glue — fish-glue (or isin- 
glass as it is sometimes called) if it could be had. Hav- 
ing completely melted some of this in sufficient water, 
so that it felt between the thumb and finger as if it had 
considerable, but not too much body, I should apply it 
to each surface, bring them together, wi'ap them tightly 
with a dry string, then wet the string with warm water 
to swell it and make it still tighter, and set it away till 
morning. Then you would hardly have been able to 
find where the wood was joined together. 

Novice. I have tried to use glue, but could never 
make it stick any to speak of. 

AxGLER. Considerable art, or, I should say, a little 
knowledge is required to use glue successfully. In the 
first place, where all possible strength is required, as in 
fishing-rods, the glue used should be perfectly fresh. By 
that I mean glue that has never been melted before. It 
should by no means be too thick, since then it rapidly 
gelatinizes, and in this condition it has no adhesive pow- 
er. The best test is to try a drop between the finger 
and thumb ; if it feels slightly unctious, it is thick 
enough. Then warm the surfaces to be united, apply 
the glue, and tie them together as described, and you 
will have no difficulty. Fish-glue is to be preferred, par- 
ticularly that known as " Russian isinglass," since it has 
more strength in the first place, and that strength is not 
so apt to become impaired by time ; but it must be han- 
dled promptly since it soon jellies, in which condition it 
will not stick at all. Some advocate adding a drop or 
two of nitric acid to the melted glue, or melting the 
glue in vinegar, either of which will destroy this gelati- 
nizing property, so you can take your time in uniting the 



Repairs. 243 

fragments ; and they insist that this does not impair 
the strength of the glue. Some prefer to melt it in 
skimmed milk, since glue so prepared is insoluble in wa- 
ter after it dries. Some, again, soften the glue by soak- 
ing it over-night in cold water. The next day it will 
resemble a stiff jelly, though retaining its original form. 
These pieces are then dried with a cloth, and melted in 
boiled linseed-oil, and thus another waterproof glue can 
be made. This last is, however, a tedious drier. But I 
have always feared to try these when anything depended 
on the result, and so cannot speak of their respective 
merits from my own knowledge. One thing, however, I 
do know, that if your joints fit and are tightly brought 
together, so as to squeeze out all the glue possible, it 
will, even with ordinary glue, take hours of soaking in 
water, and the subsequent application of considerable 
and continued heat, before they can be separated. 

But this repair must be made on the spur of the mo- 
ment, so gluing is out of the question. You see I warm 
the splices and my cobbler's wax, and coat both the for- 
mer with the latter. I now place them together in the 
position in which they are to remain, squeeze them tight- 
ly together so the layers of wax between will coalesce, 
and hold them in that position a moment for the wax to 
stiffen a little. I now wind this string around them for 
about half their length to hold them in position, and they 
are ready to wrap Avith silk. Having waxed my silk well 
with the cobbler's wax, I wind it on, as you see, as tight- 
ly as the strength of the silk will well bear, being care- 
ful that each turn shall lie close beside its predecessor. 
I have wound up to the string, which may now be re- 
moved since the wrappings already on will steady the 
splice; and now I have wrapped the splice its whole 



244 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTcle. 

length, and it only remains to fasten the winding, and 
we are through. Watch me closely. You will notice 
I cut the silk so I have about a foot of end. I hold 
the windings already made in place with my left thumb, 
pass the end of the silk downward between me and the 
rod, under it, upward on the other side, and then over 
the rod. Thus I make a large open loop, untldn which I 
take three or four turns of the end around the rod, and 
running towards the completed winding that I am hold- 
ing with my left thumb. To these two points I wish 
particularly to call your attention, since if you make no 
mistake here you will have no difficulty in mastering 
this knot. I then finish thus, and cut off the end as close 
as I can. You see it requires close inspection to discover 
how the silk is fastened, so neat is the finish. This is 
one of the most valuable acquisitions an angler can 
make, for without this knot I could not have securely 
repaired your rod. As soon as you conveniently can, 
cover the winding with two or three coats of shellac, or 
better still some oil varnish, if you can wait for it to dry, 
and your rod will, if you meet with no further accident, 
last for years. Now put it together and try it. How 
does it feel ? 

Novice. It seems a little stiffer, and lighter in the 
hand than before. 

Angler. Both necessarily follow from shortening the 
rod, which of course cannot be avoided in making a 
splice. But I notice a ring is missing from your rod. 
Bring it to me this evening at the farm-house where I am 
lodging and I will replace it. 

Novice. I am a thousand times obliged to you for 
your kindness. 

Angler. Not at all. Only remember never to go fish- 



Repairs. 245 

iiig again without silk, wax, a knife, and a file ; for with 
these you can repair on the spot most of the accidents 
to which an angler is liable, while without them you will 
be helplessly crippled. Good-day, and good-luck. 



Time, evening ; same jMrties. 

Novice. Good-evening. You see I have brought my 
rod as you suggested. 

Angler. You have done well. What luck did you 
have after we parted this morning? 

Novice. Oh, not so bad. But it is not essential to 
my enjoyment of stream fishing that I take a trout every 
five minutes. The cool fragrant air, the music of the 
running water, and the beauties of the trees and flowers 
which shade and grace the stream — these, together with 
the constant endeavor to improve my cast, and the sense 
that my efforts were not in vain, made the day one con- 
stant pleasure, though I caught but few fish and those 
not large. 

Angler. You have the true angler's spirit, and this 
makes it a double pleasure to assist and instruct you. 

Novice. While you are finishing your cigar, and be- 
fore we enter on new ground, I should like to ask you one 
or two questions about mending broken rods. How long 
should the splice be by which the fragments are united ? 
For it seems to me that a short splice can hardly stand 
the strain inseparably from use; while, on the other hand, 
an excessive length unnecessarily shortens the rod. 

Angler. The question is very pertinent. The length 
of the splice should be at least twelve times the diam- 
eter of the joint at the break, perhaps even a little more 
if the rod is very dense in the grain. It is well in such 



246 FJy-rods and Fly-tackle. 

case to roughen the surfaces you propose to unite, or to 
score them obliquely and in a criss-cross manner, thus: 



Fig. 70.— J, joint; £, splice, scored. 

But these scores should be very oblique and very shallow, 
or you may divide and so lose the strength of some of the 
fibres. The purpose is to give a better hold to whatever 
adhesive substance you use to unite the parts. 

Novice. It has occurred to me that the method you 
showed me this morning is not applicable to a break 
close to a ferrule, for there is then nothing to form one 
part of the splice from. What coui'se should then be 
followed ? 

Angler. This is either one of the most difficult, or one 
of the simplest of emergent repairs, according to the 
construction of the rod. If the rod is united by simple 
ferrules without dowels, and if the ferrules are merely 
cemented in place instead of fastened by a pin, then the 
repair is a trifling matter. And after balancing all I 
have heard or can imagine on all sides of the question, I 
cannot but think that both the dowel and the fastening 
pin should be excluded from fly-rods. I have been driven 
to this conclusion not merely because of difficulty of re- 
pair, but by other considerations of equal or even greater 
force, into the discussion of which we will not enter now. 

When the rod gives away at the ferrule, the break is 
always short across. If you have no dowels to consider, 
trim the broken end square with your knife, warm the 
ferrule and push out the broken portion, and replace the 
ferrule on the joint, using some of your cobbler's wax to 



Repairs. 247 

cement it in place. But if youi- rod has dowelled ferrules 
— by which I mean those in which the upper ferrule is pro- 
vided with a tenon to enter and fit a hole in the joint below 
— then, if your rod is a fine one, you are indeed in trouble. 
Let us assume the break is above the " male," or entering 
ferrule. You have now the accident in its least embar- 
rassing form. For if you have means at hand to drive 
out the fastening pin, you can burn out the broken piece, 
and proceed as before. The construction of a new dowel 
from the body of the joint itself should never be at- 
tempted, since, aside from the difficulty of making it per- 
fectly central and a good fit, it shortens the rod to a 
degree not to be thought of, except in case of absolute 
necessity. The maker will, on your return home, insert 
a new piece, and the loss will be only equal to the length 
of your ferrule. 

If, on the other hand, the break is below the female, or 
outside ferrule, the accident is more serious. Assuming 
you have cleared the ferrule of the broken portion, and 
can replace it as before, how are you to bore the hole to 
receive and fit the dowel ? This clearly requires a spe- 
cial tool not readily found in the neighborhood of most 
trout streams. The only practical recourse is, then, to 
cut off the dowel from the male ferrule, replace the fe- 
male ferrule as befoi-e, and use your rod without the 
dowel, until you can put it in the maker's hands. 

If the dowel seems part of the metal of the male fer- 
rule, as is generally the case in fine rods, you must file 
or saw it oflF, only as a very last resort. It is usually 
only united to the ferrule by soft solder, and if you heat 
it well you can unsolder and remove it without injury. 

Some rods, however, are mounted with ferrules the 
bore of which is smaller at the mouth than within. In 



248 Fly-rods and Fly-tacJde. 

such the dowel is absolutely indispensable, since it alone 
steadies the end of the entering joint and prevents it 
from shaking. I cannot but think this a vicious con- 
struction, if for no other reason, because it offers not the 
slightest advantage over the cylindrical ferrule, while a 
break of the kind under consideration at once disables 
the rod beyond immediate repair. 

Novice, One other question : bamboo is so dense and 
flinty that I should think it difficult successfully to mend 
such a rod by splicing. Am I correct in this ? 

Angler. Partly so. Tips may be repaired without 
difficulty, and a break in the upper portion of the second 
joint is not hopeless. But I have never been able to 
make a splice stand in the lower half of such a rod, though 
I have tried repeatedly. The splices must then be made 
extra long, and well scored; and with this the user must 
rest content until he can replace the broken joint by a 
new one. His rod will then hang together and can be 
fished with, but he will find its action so impaired that 
its use will give little pleasure. Does any other question 
occur to you ? 

Novice. No, I think of nothing more. 

Angler. Then let us replace that ring on your rod. 
But I see you have lost the end ring from your tip as 
well. 

Novice. Oh, never mind that; I have another one. 
^Angler. We may just as well do both, and then at 
some future time you will be able to aid or instruct some 
brother angler in both of these particulars. 

If we had some spare rings, or even some small copper 
or brass wire, it would help matters ; but as neither of 
these is at hand we must resort to pins for our material. 
You see I insert the points of these pins in a stick, and 



Repairs. 249 

heat thera red hot in this lamjD, for a pin as it comes 
from the manufacturer is too stiff for our purpose. Now 
that the points are cool, I cut off the heads and insert 
those ends in the stick, and repeat the process. Now 
they are annealed, and we can proceed. I take a small 
round stick — a match will do — and applying it to the 
middle of the pin, bend the latter around ^ 

it, thus forming a loop. _^1_ _^ , 

I now insert the loop in a crack in the rig. 77.—^, body of 
floor or in a cleft stick to serve as a vise jn'mkidie oVph*!^ 
(since we have neither the latter nor a c. and rf, ends of 
pair of pincers), and twist the ends of the 
pin around till they are at a right angle with their for- 
mer position. We now have, in effect, a straight wire 
provided with a loop at a right angle to 
its middle. I then file the two ends, 
78 —^ bod ^*^P ^"^^ bottom, tapering them grad- 
Tf pin, showing uallv awav from the loop to a sharp 

sharpened ends: -i . -, ., t ■ -, 

B, loop. edge at each extremity. 1 now wind 

this on with Avaxed silk in its proper 
place, and it is finished. 

Novice. I am very much obliged ; but had I not been 
so anxious to learn this, I should not have permitted you 
to trouble yourself over so trifling a matter. 

Angler. You must not think so. A rod should be 
provided with plenty of rings, since they equalize and 
distribute the strain over the whole length of the rod. 
Thus while its aggregate may be great, it will at no one 
place reach the breaking-point. And while I would not 
recommend you to suspend fishing at a favorable mo- 
ment, merely because a single ring became detached, still 
you should replace it before the next day. 

Now let us put a new end on your tip. I bend the 



250 Fhj-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

second pin around the match as before. I then thin 
the ends in the same manner, omitting, you notice, to 
twist the loop. I now bring the ends together, thus, 

B =4 



in the form of a tuning-fork, give a slightly wedge-shape 
to the end of the tip, insert it in the fork of the tip end, 
and wind it on with silk. It will not be amiss to give 
the loop a bend towards the ring side of the tip, since 
then the line will render better. 

Novice. But I notice that in this case you did not 
make your "invisible knot" in the way you showed me. 
This seems much simpler. 

Angler. The principle is exactly the same. In the 
case to which you allude it was tied in the middle of a 
joint, and under such conditions it must be made in the 
way shown you. But here there is no long piece extend- 
ing beyond where the knot is to be, and we can take ad- 
vantage of this circumstance. I will repeat the knot 
for your benefit. Having wound as far as we wish, I 
A 




make the loop, G, holding the windings already made 
firmly with my left thumb, exactly as before. Having 
first cut off the silk so as to leave me about a foot of 



Repairs. 251 

end, A, I place this end upon the windings, and hold it 
there ; I then proceed to wind over it. A, exactly as if 
it were not there, and as though I were merely extend- 
ing my winding ; and this to the extent of four turns or 
so. If in so doing the silk has fouled the ring, I), I 
clear it ; and you see I have the end. A, projecting 
towards the left and fastened by some turns of silk over 
it, and a loop, C, on the right. Now when I pull on 
the end. A, the loop, (7, diminishes in size, until it dis- 
appears altogether, and the fastening is complete. This 
knot is the one with which the heads of flies are finished. 

Novice. You seem so willing to give information 
that I should like to ask you a few more questions. 
This evening I could hardly get my rod apart, the fer- 
rules stuck so tightly ; yet they went together easily 
enovigh in the morning. Is there a remedy for this ? 

Angler. Yes, and a most simple one. If you will 
tallow or oil your ferrules, and then wipe them dry be- 
fore you joint your rod, you will never be troubled that 
way ; and this should be repeated evei-y third or fourth 
day, if the rod is left together so long. But if you have 
neglected this precaution, and the feiTules stick fast, do 
not call a friend and go at the joints as though you 
were wringing clothes; but warm the obstinate ferrule 
over a lamp-chimney, and it will easily separate. You 
must remember that the object is to expand the outer 
before the heat reaches the inner ferrule; and to do this 
the heat must be applied but for a few seconds, turning 
the ferrule constantly so that all parts may receive their 
due proportion, and then try to separate it. If it re- 
fuses, repeat the operation until it consents. 

Heat, properly and continuously applied, is extremely 
efficacious when opposed to obstinacy of any form — a 



353 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

principle well known even prior to the Middle Ages, 
though its highest development was then reached. If, 
however, the angler seizes one joint and his friend the 
other, a sudden and powerful jerk Avill often separate 
ferrules, which have obstinately resisted both torsion and 
a steady pull. 

Novice. Here is a fly, the only one of the kind I 
have. The trout seemed to have a decided preference 
for this to-day, but the gut is so frayed I fear to use 
it to-morrow. Can it be repaired ? 

Angler. Yes ; it will not look very well, but it may 
be used. Let me see the fly. Have you a spare piece 
of gut, or if not, a spare leader, from which we can cut 
a foot or so ? 

Novice. Here is a leader. 

Angler. First we will soak it in tepid water till it is 
soft ; then saving the looped end intact, we tie a hard 
knot in the other end to prevent its slipping ; then we 
wrap it above the knot with well waxed silk on to the 
upper side of the hook, just below the body, and over 
the tail ; then part the wings with a pin, and lay the 
gut in the division and upon the upper side of the body, 
and fasten it again Avith silk over the Aving fastening. 
Now we catch the hook in or around anything that will 
hold, take a good pull on the gut to be sure it will stand, 
and it is complete. 

Novice. Are there any other accidents likely to hap- 
pen to the angler which you have not mentioned, and 
which admit of repair ? 

Angler. We have certainly covered almost all — and 
I can think of no others. You see the "invisible knot " 
lies at the foundation of all these repairs, so be sure to 
perfect yourself in it. 



Repairs. 253 

It sometimes occurs that an angler buys a new rod, 
or a new reel, and finds the one will not fit the other; 
but he can tie the reel to his rod with a string, or better 
still a leather thong, and it will work just as well. 

It may happen that he frays his line on a sharp stone 
or otherwise, so that he thinks it no longer safe. In this 
case, if unprovided with a spare line, he may cut out 
the doubtful part, melt his wax, or at least make it quite 
soft so that it will penetrate well into the line, coat 
about an inch of each end well with the wax, lap and 
squeeze, and sew them together with a fine needle, and 
then wrap tightly Avith well waxed silk, and thus remedy 
the defect. If it is an enamelled waterproof line, the 
ends may be scarfed a little with the file to roughen 
them, and give the wax a better hold. This splice, if 
neatly made, will render through the rings very well, but 
a test strain of at least six pounds should be applied be- 
fore using it ; for if it will not hold it is better to know 
it, and repeat the operation. 

He may forget or lose his landing-net. In stream- 
fishing he can then land his fish on the bank, if it is 
sloping, or if not, slide his hand down the leader and 
grasp the fish by the gills. In either case he should 
play his fish until quite exhausted. Then throwing his 
rod behind him and over his shoulder, grasp the leader 
with his left hand, carry the part seized to his right 
hand which holds the rod, there take it between his 
thumb and finger, holding it so he can at once let go if 
the fish shows signs of activity, and repeat this until the 
fish is quite close. But during this delicate operation 
there must not be the slightest approximation to a jerk ; 
everything must proceed quietly and by an even, steady 
motion. He can then slide his hand down the leader 



254 Fly-rods and Fhj-tacMe. 

and grasp the trout, in which he will be much aided by 
a thread-glove with the fingers cut off ; or he can lead 
the fish towards the bank, and by a sudden but steady 
increase of force throw him out. 

Any effort to lift or throw the trout out by the rod will 
probably be followed by disaster. Not that the rod will 
break, but the weight of the fish in air so exceeds that 
in water, that the impulse given will carry it but a short 
distance on the shore; and when it strikes the ground it 
unhooks itself with the first flop, while the angler per- 
forms like a cat on a stove in the vain endeavor to kick 
it higher up on the bank. I have seen, nay, I have my- 
self, lost many good fish in this way. 

If he is to fish from a boat, and no landing-net can be 
borrowed, let him make a gaff out of a piece of telegraph 
or other stiff wire, or tie three or four hooks, the largest 
that can be had, on a stick, and use that for the same 
purpose. 

Occasionally the screws of a reel show a tendency to 
work loose, caused by the jar of the click and indifferent 
fitting. The remedy is simple: withdraw the screw, and 
insert a thread to the bottom of its hole; enter the screw 
beside the thread, and about three-quarters of its length; 
then cut off the projecting end close, and turn the screw 
down to its head. 

There, I think I have covered all the reparable contin- 
gencies. 

Novice. One last question I would like to ask. Can 
you suggest a method to repair an angler's morals after 
he has lost a large fish ? 

Angler. That is indeed a heavy blow; and so long as 
human nature is weak, I fear that under such affliction 
the original sin, which is the heritage of all, will come 



Repairs. 355 

to the surface. It is a misfortune not only of the mo- 
ment, but in the future as well. 

In September of 1880 I stood on the boom which re- 
strains the drift-trash from clogging the sluiceways of 
the lumber dam located on the Magalloway River, about 
a mile below Parmacheene Lake, in Maine. The dam 
had been used that spring for the first time. It was built 
to aid in sluicing the logs cut in the surrounding wilder- 
ness down the river to civilization, and was, except for a 
couple of weeks or so in the spring, idle and apparently 
uncared for. The deep black water shoaled as it ap- 
proached the dam, quickened its pace, bent downward 
like oil, and then, breaking into foam, rushed forty feet 
through the sluices, and thundered into the pool below. 

I stood upon the logs forming the boom, and cast a 
large single fly — the queen of those waters, the "Parma- 
cheene Belle" — to where, about thirty -six feet distant, the 
current just began to gather its strength. As I now rec- 
ollect, some four or five fair trout had rewarded my ef- 
forts, running from two up to three and a half pounds. 
At last up rolled the very Monarch of the River. His 
swirl was like the eddy made by an eighteen-foot oar. 
He was a monster. An exclamation from my guide, a 
bound of my heart that sent the blood like fire to every 
extremity of my body, greeted the rise. I struck sharply 
of course, but he never touched the fly, and it came back 
empty handed. With sinking hearts, for we knew from 
experience that such fish seldom rise the second time, we 
changed the fly to another as different in color as possible, 
and tried again. For two hours or more we rested and 
fished the water in alternate five-minute intervals, chang- 
ing and rechanging the fly, but though we took others 
which would elsewhere be accounted large fish, yet he, 



256 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

upon whom we had set our hearts, was jiroof against 
temptation, 

I have caught as large, perhaps larger, trout since, but 
never in such a location. And to this day, and as long as 
I live and cast a fly, the loss of that fish will be a sore 
spot in my memory. Even now while I write, for the 
thousandth time the scene in every detail is present be- 
fore me, and I wonder could I have played him his half 
hour in the water above, or would he, despite my every 
effort, have shot through the sluice into the pool below 
the dam, and what could I then have done to save him? 

I have asked — I will ask — this question whenever mem- 
ory recalls the picture, but its solution, alas! I shall never 
know. 



Casting the Fly. 257 



CHAPTER IX. 

CASTISG THE FLY. 

Every book on angling contains directions for acquir- 
ing this art, almost universally prefaced by the statement 
that little can be learned from them. Without calling in 
question the advantage of jjractical instruction by an ex- 
pert, still it is believed no little progress can be made in 
its absence. 

Assuming the possession of the required implements, 
the next essential in learning to cast without a master is 
companionship. Thus one can rest and encourage the 
other, and each observe and coach his friend during his 
innings at the rod. In nothing does the old adage, "the 
outsider sees most of the game," more directly apply. 
Unconscious faults are instantly noted by " the coach " 
and brought to the attention of the caster, as well as the 
greater or less degree of success which may attend effort 
to correct these. The innings should not exceed five 
minutes each, for they should be made a pleasure and 
not a toil. No very apj^reciable fatigue should be in- 
curred, since tired muscles respond imperfectly to the 
will. 

Access to water is quite unnecessary — I question 
whether it is even desirable. In the city, the house-roof 
may be the practice-ground; in the country, any grass- 
plot or a snow-field. Mark your stand, and measure from 
it about twenty -five or thirty feet. There place a folded 
17 



258 Fly-rods and Fly-tdckle. 

newspaper, retaining it in position by stones or similar 
weights placed on the corners. Let this, your target, be 
about eighteen to twenty-four inches square, and of sev- 
eral thicknesses, that a hit may at once be distinguished 
from a miss by the rustle of the line on the paper. Use 
a cheap linen line for practice, E in size, and without 
leader or flies. A braided line is to be preferred. This 
will perfectly serve the purpose, and save whipping out 
the more expensive water-proof line you will employ in 
actual fishing. 

To acquire a proper back cast — throwing the line be- 
hind preparatory to the forward cast — usually gives the 
beginner the most trouble. He cannot see behind him, 
and though he fully appreciates that his forward cast is 
a botch, he cannot locate the difficulty, and knows neither 
to what this is due nor how it is to be overcome. Here 
the eyes of his friend supplement those of the caster. 
Each effort to improve is appraised ; the successful is dis- 
tinguished from the unsuccessful attempt — the one con- 
demned, the other approved — until in a very short time 
and with very little trouble a habit of casting is formed 
which is not only efficient, but at the same time easy and 
graceful. 

Therefore I say again, and I say with the more em- 
phasis because I believe I stand alone in this recommen- 
dation, practise this art with a companion, and alternate- 
ly at brief intervals let each coach the other. Let the 
coach make some comment on every cast made, as, for ex- 
ample, " Your back cast was too low," " Your line did 
not straighten out behind," " Your forward cast was too 
quick," "Keep your body still," "Keep your elbow to 
your side," "There, that back cast was all right — try to 
repeat it," etc., etc., remembering to approve the good 




Fig. 81. 



Casting the Fly. 261 

as well as condemn the bad; for the very object in view- 
is to inform the caster what to cultivate as well as what 
to avoid. 

I confidently believe that two persons of ordinary clev- 
erness each thus aiding the other, can, in two weeks' time, 
with say one hour's daily practice, learn to cast a very 
fair fly and in an easy atid graceful manner. If a really 
experienced instructor can be had, all the better; but the 
supervision of a self-taught caster of limited experience, 
who insists on being guided solely by that experience, is 
to be avoided. 

The coach taking his stand abreast of and on the right 
of the caster, and at such a distance as conveniently to 
observe every motion, let the latter withdraw from the 
reel line equal in length to about one and a half times 
the length of his rod. The thumb of the casting hand 
must not be closed up on its fingers, but be extended and 
bear upon the rod itself. Now throw the tip of the rod 
upward and behind a little, but only a little, beyond the 
perpendicular. 

The illustration on the preceding page (Fig. 81), from 
a photograph from life, shows the extreme limit of this 
movement, a limit by no means to be exceeded, while it 
may well be somewhat abridged. 

In actual fishing the casting elbow is always and in- 
variably to be held quite close to the side, and the fore- 
arm should not be raised beyond an angle of forty-five 
degrees with the horizon. The wrist, however, is to take 
a further bend upward and as far as possible, for from 
the action of this joint should the impulse of the cast be 
almost exclusively derived. 

I am aware that I am a^ variance with the precepts of 
many writers, as well as with the practice of many excel- 



262 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

lent anglers, in the direction that the elbow be invariably 
close to the side. Some cast at arm's-length, and largely 
with the shoulder-joint. This is a thoroughly bad meth- 
od, fatiguing, ineflScient, and rivalling in grace a duck on 
land. Others cast with the elbow to or near the body, 
but just before the flies light extend the arm to its full 





Fig. 82. 



length, as though they Avere about to impale something 
on the point of the rod. This method is used by many 
anglers, whom I freely acknowledge to be my superiors. 
Notwithstanding, I am convinced that it serves no useful 
purpose (except in casting for distance only) not other- 
wise readily attainable, while it certainly looks labored 



the Fly. 



and awkward. The one method resembles the postux-es 
of a trained athlete, no portion or member of his body in 
motion except those in actual use; the others approxi- 
mate in greater or less degree to the contortions of the 
greenhorn, every limb pawing the air. 

Though the elbow partakes slightly at the beginning 
of both the cast and recover, still it is the wrist that is 
really the motive power in casting. The novice cannot 
too early and too firmly impress this on his mind. 




The illustrations on this and preceding page are taken 
from photographs from life. Fig. 82 represents the posi- 
tion of the wrist when on the back cast; Fig. 83 the wrist 
on the forward cast. Note the position of the thumb. 

The position should be an easy one, and the body and 
the unemployed arm should be kept perfectly still. No 



264 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

habit is worse in casting than unnecessary contortions of 
the one, or flourishes of the other. Not only is it exceed- 
ingly awkward, but it is injurious as well, since it is 
motion rather than the mere sight of an object which 
demoralizes the fish. 

The coach will j^ay particular attention to the back 
cast, for if this is mastered all else follows. It is the 
secret of success. In practice, the end of the line, when 
behind him, should in no case fall below the level of the 
caster's head; everything below that should be regarded 
as a fault. There is nothing in fly-fishing which so 
promptly grades an angler as a high back cast, when 
circumstances permit its use, while nothing will more 
prejudice reputation for skill than the habit, even when 
sitting in a boat, of allowing the flies to touch the water 
behind the caster. The expert knows how few possess 
the former accomplishment, and that to him who has it 
the highest development of the art is jjossible; while he 
equally recognizes that the latter is a vicious habit, dif- 
ficult to overcome, and a perfect bar to real excellence. 

Therefore cultivate a high back cast with the utmost 
assiduity. It is not diflacult to acquire at the beginning, 
though this is no longer the case when another and dif- 
ferent habit has been formed. 

The secret of this is to throw the rod but little, if any, 
beyond the perpendicular on the back cast. The first 
view in this chapter illustrates the extreme limit. While 
the butt joint is nearly upright, the upper portion of the 
rod will bend backAvard still more. Rods of varying 
flexibility vary somewhat in this respect. The stiffer 
may be thrown a little farther back, and still, since they 
bend less, give the line the required upward direction. I 
trust I have emphasized the importance of this sufiicient- 



Casting the Fly. 265 

ly, as well as made clear the method by which it may be 
attained. 

The coach must next see to it that the caster by no 
means begins the forward impulse, until the line has ex- 
tended behind to the limit of its length. 

Ignore the front cast altogether in the first lessons, 
considering it merely as a necessary preparation for the 
back cast, and as otherwise of no consequence whatever. 
Concentrate the attention on these two features of the 
back cast altogether (except, of course, to insist that the 
body and unemployed arm are motionless, and that the 
impulse proceeds from the wrist). Hang to these two 
points as if they wei-e all there was to fly-casting, for 
really this assumption will be but little wide of the 
truth. 

Having given the backward impulse to the line, it 
will be found that an interval must intervene between 
this and the forward impulse, during which the line is 
occupied in straightening itself out. This pause is ab- 
solutely essential, and an undue abridgment of its du- 
ration is the most common of all faults. It varies, of 
course, with the length of line used; and since the caster 
cannot see behind him, that he may know when the exact 
moment for the forward impulse has arrived, he must use 
the eyes of another, or experiment in the dark. 

The coach will therefore watch the line, and when it 
has thus extended its full length give the word "Now!" 
Thereupon let the caster at once give the forward im- 
pulse. It will require a little practice on the part of the 
former to give the word at the proper moment, and on 
the part of the latter promptly to respond, but this will 
be soon overcome. 
. By a rigid adherence to this method of coaching and 



366 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

practice, a high back cast, and the allowance of the 
proper interval for the line to straighten out, will soon 
become purely automatic — a mere matter of instinct ad- 
justing itself to whatever length of line may be in use, 
without a thought or an effort on the j^art of the caster. 

When this is accomplished, and stick to it until it is, 
the game is in your own hands, for everything else fol- 
lows almost of itself. 

Now some attention may be profitably given to the 
forward cast. That the line shall fall gently upon it, the 
end reaching the level of the mark first, are the desid- 
erata. To accomplish this, throw the rod forward, re- 
membering to derive the impulse from the wrist, until 
it assumes the position shown by Fig. 84 on the follow- 
ing page. 

Cast not at the mark, but as though an object three or 
four feet above it were the bull's-eye. Then when the line 
has unfolded almost its entire length, raise the point of 
the rod a couple of feet or so. This will turn the line 
point foremost, and cause the end to alight first. If the 
force of the impulse is justly proportioned to the dis- 
tance to be covered, the line will fall by its own gravity 
alone upon the paper ; but if too much power has been 
applied, it will strike hard, or recoil and fall short of the 
mark. That cast is the most perfect in which the mini- 
mum of force is employed, and the beginner must make 
constant effort to see with how little exertion he can 
accomplish the result. He will find that very little 
power is required even for quite a long line — say fifty- 
five feet — and that the line falls most lightly and straight- 
est in those casts where the power is justly proportioned, 
and not in excess of the work to be done. But if care- 
ful, patient, and persevering, this too will soon become 



Casting the Fly. 269 

purely automatic, adjusting itself to circumstances with- 
out conscious muscular or mental effort. 

But remember the back cast is the foundation, and 
that unless it is solid the superstructure will be rick- 
ety. Remember also that the motion of the rod through 
the air should be almost, or quite noiseless. Nothing of- 
fends the angler's ear more than the " swish " of a fly-, 
rod. It is like a false note to an educated musical ear. 
It indicates a degree of force about as apj^ropriate to 
the end in view, as a burglar's jimmy to opening a watch. 
This should never be, except possibly when casting di- 
rectly against the wind or for distance only. 

After about a week's daily practice has given consid- 
erable skill to the right hand, and the habit of a high 
back fly and the pause is pretty well formed, begin to 
educate the left hand as well, and after that practice 
both alternately. To be able to use either hand indiffer- 
ently is a great accomplishment. Whatever is worth 
doing, is worth doing well. Begin and continue your 
practice with the fixed intention to become second to 
none in skill, and educate the left hand, with the right, 
as one of the steps in that direction. 

Experience by this time will have taught that the line 
must be so thrown behind on the back cast, as neither to 
strike the caster nor the rod in its flight. 

When the overhead cast is mastered, and you can get 
out fifty -five to sixty feet of line fair, straight, and 
light, and without much conscious exertion of force, and 
this with a high back fly and the proper pause, then you 
are ready for another step forward. Practise casting 
over the left shoulder for two or three lessons, and 
then casting sideways, i.e., moving the rod horizontally 
or nearly so. The same principles govern success in 



270 Fly^ods and Fly-tackle. 

these as in the overhead cast. But first thoroughly 
master the overhead cast; these modifications will then 
seem a mere bagatelle. 

Permit me to caution you in the most decided manner 
not to sti'ive after a long cast, for this is the sure way 
never to attain it. Let this take care of itself. By no 
means attempt thirty-five feet, until thirty can be cast 
without perceptible effort, and that in good, cleanly fash- 
ion. Do your practising, after you have attained the 
complete mastery of forty feet, at that distance. At the 
end of the lesson take a couple of innings or so at forty- 
three to forty-five feet, thus making your distance prac- 
tice an entirely separate and distinct thing. Hang to 
that distance until you master it completely and with 
perfect ease, and then, and not till then, add two or three 
feet and not more. Proceed in this way adding but two 
or three feet at most at each increase, and sticking to 
that until you master it completely before attempting 
more. At over forty - five feet you should devote at 
least a week to the next additional three feet, without a 
thought of anything beyond. Fifty feet is about the 
maximum fishing distance ordinarily employed; but by 
rigid adherence to these rules you will easily acquire 
command of seventy feet, provided you master the high 
back cast and the pause. Otherwise you will never be 
able to do fifty-five feet decently. 

Remember that to cast sixty feet is not to boggle at 
fifty or fifty-five, with a line full of loops and projected 
with the force of a catapult, and then, by good -luck 
rather than good management, at last attain even seven- 
ty-five feet. This is mere botch work, and nothing will 
more surely arrest progress than such misdirected efforts. 
He only can properly be said to be able to cast sixty feet 



Casting the Fly. 271 

who can lay out a fair, straight, and light line to that 
distance, not once, but time and time again in succession. 
And let me assure you that very few proficient anglers 
can do this. Not that they could not readily attain this 
and more with practice, but simply because all the cast- 
ing they do is done in actual fishing ; and those who 
really understand themselves then jjroportion their means 
to their ends. Nevertheless, though to be able to cast a 
long line will, perhaps, make very little difference in the 
number and size of the fish taken at the end of a season, 
it certainly adds a very elegant finish to the angler's ac- 
quirements, Just as a fine steeple adds to the beauty of 
a church. Having mastered thoi'oughly forty feet, so 
that the rod and line work with the precision of a ma- 
chine, then comes the strike. 

In swift water the fish generally hook themselves, but 
not so in still water. Here the strike must follow the 
rise, as its shadow follows a cloud. This too may be ac- 
quired without approaching the water, and must be prac- 
tised until purely automatic. To acquire this the caster 
must cast, draw his line towards him, trailing it on the 
ground, and at the word " Strike !" from the coach, re- 
trieve the line at once. The coach should use care to 
give the word at irregular times, so that the caster may 
not anticipate him. When considerable skill and prompt- 
ness in response has been acquired, the coach should 
abandon giving the word, and signal the proper moment 
by dropping a pebble on the pa^^er, standing close to it 
for this purpose. The instant the pebble falls, the strike 
should follow. Strike lightly if you can, but at all events 
strike quickly. 

In actual fishing, strike with the line free to render 
from the reel, and thus compensate for undue violence. 



273 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



For small fish or small flies a mere turn of the wrist is 
the proper and artistic thing, but for large ones this 
method is a delusion. Then you must "sock it to them," 
After all, promptness to respond to the rise, without a 
suspicion of hesitancy, is practically the important point. 

In the spring of 1883, fishing was good where I was 
so fortunate as to be. And as is my custom, the locality 
permitting, we made a little pond in which to imprison 
and watch the fish taken. Again and again we filled the 
pond with trout, and after a brief confinement returned 
them to the water and liberty. At last a spring pond at 
no great distance abounding in minnows yet destitute 
of trout occurred to our minds, and we determined to 
stock it. Water transportation was available for the 
greater part of the distance, but the last two or three 
hundred yards was land carriage. Across this my guide 
John carried the fish in a tin milk-pail, his hat floating 
on the surface of the water therein contained, lest in 
their struggles they should flop out to their injury, for 
they were all good-sized fish and very lively. 

Upon reaching the border of their new home the fish 
were completely exhausted by their struggles, and when 
placed in the water were quite content to breathe and 
rest, without an effort to move away. During the hour 
or more occupied in this portage — for the pail would not 
hold more than three or four at a time — I stood and 
watched these fish lying at my feet in not more than a 
foot of crystal water. Occasionally as they breathed a 
dead leaf would drift into the mouth of some one of 
them. For a brief second it would remain before its 
presence seemed to be realized ; then it was shot out 
with a velocity sufficient to project it several inches 
" through the water. I say shot out, and that phrase ex- 



Casting the Fly. 273 

actly describes the suddenness of the operation. I then 
thought that thus does the trout reject the artificial fly 
when the deception is discovered, and realized how very, 
very brief was the interval in which advantage might 
be taken of a rise. 

I have here laid out what I take to be about two 
months' to two and a half months' work. Certainly it 
can be compassed in a single close season. Access to 
water, I believe, will prove rather a drawback than an 
advantage, tending to distract the attention from the main 
object in view, the formation of a correct habit. 

At the expiration of that period, I believe that two 
persons of average adaptability, each aiding the other, 
can with patience and perseverance, and by strictly fol- 
lowing the directions contained in this chapter, become 
proficient in casting the fly to a degree not by any means 
common even among experienced anglers. True, this is 
not aU of fly-fishing ; but then the attention is thereafter 
free to devote itself to those lessons learned only from 
Natui-e's book, face to face with Nature herself. Then 
what the mind directs, that the muscles can execute, and 
thus the experience of years can be comjjressed into a 
comparatively brief period. 

He who is complete master of his scales and intervals 
will have little trouble to learn to play a set piece ; and 
so in this case the scales and intervals have been mas- 
tered, the hours of toil are over, and their reward is at 
hand. 

The violin player sees a note on the written page. He 
does not stop to think "that is D, and must be played 
with the fourth finger in the third position." It is he- 
fore him, and without a thought of what the note is or 
where it lies, his hand flies to the accustomed place, he 
18 



274 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

cannot tell you how. There is practically a sort of mem- 
ory of the muscles, sometimes called force of habit, and 
it is this that the fly-caster must sooner or later acquire 
if he would reach even mediocrity. 

It is as easy to acquire a good habit as a bad, and far 
more profitable. To aid the beginner in this is the object 
of this chapter. It cannot more fitly close than by re- 
iterating once more, remember the secret of success lies in 
the back cast. 

This chapter was ready for the printer when that day 
looked forward to with such impatience for the preced- 
ing ten months, the day when I was to depart for my 
annual six weeks in the Maine woods, arrived. Had any 
man told me the year before, when with a half -sup- 
pressed groan I disjointed my rod on the evening of the 
last day of the open season, that I should never wet line 
again unless beyond the river of life, I should have as- 
sented to its possibility. But had he said that before 
another season I should write a book on fly-fishing — a 
subject involving so much, and of Avhich, compared with 
its extent, I know so little — I should have thought he 
was mad. Who can resist to the end the flattery and 
the solicitations of the friends he loves? 

Many anglers of all grades in the art, from the lady 
beginner on the outskirts of the wilderness, to the fin- 
ished expert within its inmost recesses, have passed 
under my observation, I know not without profit to me 
— I hope not without advantage to the beginner to whom 
I have addressed myself. 

Casting is by no means all of fly-fishing. It is an art, 
and one not easy to acquire in perfection ; but the 
greater part of the diflSculty usually experienced is due 



Casting the Fly. 275 

to a faulty beginning, and to vicious and pertinacious 
habits thus unconsciously formed, 

I believe with even greater confidence than when it 
was written, that the system set forth in this chapter 
will, if followed with patience and perseverance, surely 
accomplish the desired result. As some acquire manual 
skill more readily than others, so will the degree of 
patience and practice required to attain this end vary 
with different individuals. But I sincerely believe that 
his or her clumsiness must be indeed phenomenal, who 
cannot, without a sight of water other than that in some 
domestic utensil, acquire the art of casting the fly with 
more than the average degree of skill in a single close 
season. Remember the secrets of its success lie in the 
friendly aid of a coach willing to be guided by its pre- 
cepts, and in the back cast. 

Some act and talk as though casting were the entire 
art of fly-fishing, and grade an angler solely by the dis- 
tance he can cover with his flies. This is a great mis- 
take and pernicious in its influence. Casting is but a 
method of placing the fly before the trout without alarm- 
ing it, and within its reach. It is mei'ely placing food be- 
fore a guest. The selection of such food as will suit, and 
so serving it as to please a fastidious and fickle taste, still 
remain indispensably necessary to induce its acceptance. 

Further than I have done in this book, and I am well 
aware how inadequate it is, I cannot advise what flies 
will please. The most experienced are often at their 
wits' ends in this respect, and if they find any solution at 
all to the problem in hand, find it Avhere they least ex- 
pect, and when, after having exhausted every resource 
of their skill, they leave the selection to chance rather 
than judgment. 



276 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

But the manipulation of the fly after it has touched 
the water is quite another matter. Without undue vio- 
lation of the proprieties it may be considered a part of 
the cast, and it is proposed so to treat it. 

Nothing during the past season has more impressed 
me than the fact, if fact it be, that in no single point in 
fly-fisliing was error more common than in this. Not so 
much where a strong current lends instant aid to the 
angler is this apparent ; as in the fishing of pools and 
of still-water — the very places where the best fish are 
usually to be found. Nor is it a fault of the beginner, 
but rather of those whose proficiency is otherwise con- 
siderable. 

To such, if any, who with limited practical experience 
may become facile casters by following the precepts of 
this chapter, a careful consideration of the following 
problem is recommended, for they stand in a position of 
special danger. The problem is : 

1st. To place the fly within reach of the trout without 
alarming it. 

2d. So to handle it as to simulate a living creature, 
and one tempting to its appetite. 

3d. To do this in such a manner that if the fly is 
touched, the trout shall infallibly be fastened. 

It is neither to the first nor to the second of these 
points that I would call attention. But the third is well 
worthy the study of every angler, old or new. 

Confining our attention to pool and still-Avater angling, 
it is rare that a trout, unless gaunt with famine, takes a 
fly the moment it touches the water, and then only when 
the stratum which intervenes between it and the fly is 
shallow. Taking any season through, and I am inclined 
to think that at least ninety-nine out of every hundred 



Canting the Fly. 277 

trout captured in such water, will be found to have taken 
the fly after it has been moved from the place where it 
first fell. It is also true that in such water some demon- 
stration on the part of the angler is usually necessary to 
fasten the hook after the fly has been taken, or it will 
be rejected and the opportunity lost ; also that the in- 
terval during which this may successfully be done is 
brief. 

Now it is mathematically certain that when the rod is 
at a right angle with the line, a, given movement of the 
tip of the rod will transmit its impulse with the greatest 
rapidity, and with the maximum of effect, through the 
line, since then there is the least possible lost motion. 
It is also certain that when the rod and line form one 
straight line, a very considerable upward movement of 
the tip is followed by but slight retraction of the line ; 
there is then much lost motion, and consequently the 
impulse is tardily conveyed to the hook. 

It is equally indisputable that when the rod is so 
raised that the line is parallel with it, or nearly so, all 
command over the former is gone ; the rod has already 
shortened the line all it possibly can, and the power to 
strike is lost. 

The problem is a most simple one. 

Let us suppose the tip of the rod to be pointing at an 
object exactly forty feet distant from it. Now suppose 
the tip to be raised three feet, the end describing in so 
doing the arc of a circle of which the hand is the centre, 
as in actual fishing. Clearly, now, that end is more dis- 
tant from the assumed point than before, and more line 
would be required to reach it ; oi', in other words, the 
line, if it did not break, must either stretch or move that 
difference. Thus a theoretical measure of the efticiency 



378 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

of the " strike " at any angle of the rod may be obtained. 
Construction of the proper diagrams will also show that 
the strike becomes less and less efficient as the length 
of the line increases, and also as the hand actuating the 
rod approaches the level of the water. 

I have said a theoretical measure, and advisedly, since 
we have been treating the fly-rod as though it were as 
stiff as a telegraph-pole. Clearly we must take its flex- 
ibility into account, since before the movement of the tip 
can overcome the inertia of the line and the friction of 
the water upon it, the rod must bend until the tension 
of its elasticity is in excess of that inertia and friction 
combined. Thus we see that another deduction must be 
made from the efficiency of the sti'ike, one rapidly increas- 
ing in amount as the length of line, and its consequent in- 
ertia and f i-iction from contact with the water, increases. 

Based ujjon these considerations was the suggestion 
heretofore made, that a cast of five and a half times 
the length of the rod approximated closely to the ex- 
treme efficient limit in practical fly-fishing — assuming 
the caster to be wading knee-deep or sitting in a fairly 
high-sided boat. A quick eye and a prompt hand, trained 
by long practice, may extend this distance somewhat, but 
I believe not much. The stiffness of the rod used is also 
a variable factor effecting the result. I therefore per- 
sonally prefer a rod as stiff as is consistent with pleasur- 
able casting. Furthermoi-e, it was with these consider- 
ations in view that I have, in the Chapter on Rod-mak- 
ing, sought to give all emphasis to the direction, so to 
proportion the lower part of the rod as to give absolute 
command over the tip. 

If our mathematics are correct, the following practical 
conclusions would seem necessarily to follow: 



Casting the Fly. 279 

1st. Invariably use as short a line as circumstances will 
permit. 

2d. If it has not been done in the cast itself, at once 
elevate the tip of the rod until it forms an angle with the 
line, and let that angle be as near a right angle as the 
length of line in use and the reserved movement of the 
rod required to manipulate and retrieve the flies will 
permit. 

3d. By no means draw the flies so far towards you as 
seriously to impair, much less altogether to lose, the 
power to strike. In either case you will almost certainly 
lose your fish, and in the latter your rod will probably 
be shattered. 

The fault, or I should say faults, for there are two in 
number, notice of the prevalence of which impelled me 
to add to this chapter, are, 

1st. A tendency to use an altogether unnecessary length 
of line ; or, in other words, to shirk good water within 
distances in which the advantage would be with the 
angler, to fish more distant and less promising places at 
a disadvantage. 

2d. Postponing the back cast until the power to strike 
is nearly or quite lost. 

I repeat, that he who has acquired the knack of casting 
with facility, without other and further knowledge of the 
art, is almost sure to err in these respects. I cannot too 
strenuously urge this i;pon the attention of the beginner. 
If the fish are very shy, the pool promising, and to be fished 
from the bank, cut a bush your own height; approach 
the pool slowly, holding it between you and where you 
suppose the trout to lie, and when you have reached your 
station rest the butt end on the ground, supporting your 
blind with the left hand. When a fish is fastened get 



380 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

him into barren water as soon as possible, following him 
still, if you can, under cover of your blind. A very 
slight cover and the avoidance of quick motion are suf- 
ficient to insure success, if the fish are disposed to feed. 

Perhaps it may not be out of place to narrate exactly 
under what circumstances this addition to the present 
chapter was decided upon, 

John and I Avere fishing for large trout at the outlet of 
a lake in North-western Maine. The wind drew up the 
outlet with sufficient force to make it advisable to anchor 
our boat pretty well down, and cast up into the lake. 
The strait was shallow, but the water rapidly deepened 
within the lake, forming a horseshoe-shaped bar, the con- 
vexity towards us, over the edge of which I cast into the 
deep water and drew my flies towards the shallow. The 
fishing was not very fruitful, but still it was a recognized 
haunt of large trout, and one might be expected at any 
moment. Soon a new-comer approached with his guide, 
skirmished around the shore of the lake so as not to dis- 
turb the water, anchored near us, for there was plenty of 
room for two to fish, and began to cast. He was a su- 
' perb caster. As he sat in the boat, his flies soon touched 
the water at a distance I then estimated at not less than 
seventy feet from him. 

There was no bungling about it; his flies went out be- 
fore and behind as fair and straight as it is possible to 
cast that length of line under like conditions. He was 
clearly a master of the art. For about half an hour he 
ranged his flies over that water, at distances varying from 
fifty-five up to, I believe, over seventy feet. He got no 
rise, became discouraged, pulled up his anchor, and moved 
to seek better fortune elsewhere. 
" That was elearant casting;, John." 



Casting the Fly. 281 

John, before whom as guide hosts of anglers of all 
grades had passed in review year after year, "sized" it 
in a moment. 

" Yes, it was elegant casting, but it was mighty poor 
fishing, all the same." 

For consider it a moment. The fish cruised in deep 
water around the break of the bar. That was where they 
concentrated, coming from all directions down the lake. 
There, too, the water was not so deep but that a slow- 
moving fly might tempt them from the bottom itself. 
This water, the very cream of the whole, was utterly 
ignored. His flies lit where the depth was not far from 
twenty feet, beyond the possibility of tempting anything 
not considerably nearer the surface than the bottom. 
Again, the fish were working from all directions towards 
the outlet, and consequently the chance of one being 
there within the reach of his fly was mathematically far 
more remote than at the bar itself. Also, with that length 
of line, had he allowed his flies to rest a moment on the 
water, it would have been impossible to retrieve them 
for the back cast. They but touched it and were off. 
Large trout seldom, if ever, take a fly with the dash of a 
four-ounce fish. They at all times, till the sting of the 
hook galvanizes them into action, comport themselves 
with dignity, and their movements are made with a con- 
sistent deliberation. There was hardly a possibility of 
his taking anything in that way; and so John justly 
characterized it when he said, "It was elegant casting, 
but mighty poor fishing, all the same." 

It may, however, be that the gentleman was merely 
amusing himself, and showing us how he could cast. If 
so, " I take off my hat to him," for anything more ele- 
gant in that line I have seldom or never seen. 



282 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tackle. 

In regard to the second fault in our enumeration, that 
of postponing the back cast till the power to strike is 
impaired, there is a way to surmount it, which, though it 
may be in common use in some localities, I have never 
seen employed except by the gentleman from whom I 
borrowed it. For it may well happen that, when the 
angler would prefer to take his flies off the water, he 
has reason to suppose a trout is on the way to them. 
If the fish is a large one, the probability of coaxing a 
second rise may be doubtful. It is not w^ise to arrest 
the motion of the fly, since one has been formed that is 
attractive, and who can tell, if it halts, whether he will 
not follow suit. So the temptation to postpone the back 
cast becomes almost irresistible, usually entailing the con- 
sequences of yielding to temptation. 

I can give a case in point, and from my own recent 
experience. 

September of 1884 was decidedly an off month in 
Maine waters. The weather held on warm, and the 
customary cold rains held off, in a most exasperating 
manner. So the big fish held off too. John and I made 
up our minds to follow them to where they lived. It 
was a tough job, involving lots of hard work, poling a 
light canoe - shaped boat oyer rapids, paddling it over 
pools, and lifting it over or crowding it under the nu- 
merous giants of the forest, which the winter gales of 
years had uprooted and thrown into the stream. Thus 
we traversed some three miles of a river which, as far as 
known, had been fished but once before, and that five 
years previously. It was the perfection of a trout- 
stream — clear and cold, a succession of deep pools al- 
ternated with rapids, while the primeval forest through 
which it took its way shaded the waters, and furnished 



Casting the Fly. 283 

with its ruins abundant cover. Above and below I 
knew the stream well, and hundreds of trout had taken 
my flies therein. 

The descending sun warned us that we would be be- 
nighted in the woods before we could regain our camp, 
as we entered the foot of the pool which we determined 
should mark our return. Yet not even one single rise 
had I had all day. It may be they had abandoned that 
portion of the river on the way to their spawning-beds, 
or they may have taken a pledge of total abstinence; 
but whatever the cause, such was the result, and a suf- 
ficiently aggravating result it was. For we had footed 
it four miles through the woods, and had forced a boat 
through some six or seven miles of quick water, the lat- 
ter part greatly obstructed, and had cast all day long at 
every available opportunity, and had as yet caught noth- 
ing. A like return intervened between us and both 
food and shelter. 

We entered the pool, the canoe gliding slowly over its 
placid surface under the impulse of John's skilful pad- 
dle. The still water was perhaps a hundred and fifty 
feet long, some seventy-five feet wide, and of unknown 
depth. Over and among " coarse rocks " the river poured 
in a heavy rapid into its upper end, and left it in the same 
manner. Surely few pools approach more closely the an- 
gler's ideal. The overhanging forest forced us to take 
pretty well to the middle, that there might be room for the 
back cast, and the position of the canoe compelled a cast 
somewhat ahead rather than abeam, in order that the fly 
should light where the trout, if any, might be expected 
to lie. The motion of the boat in the direction of the 
cast continually tended to slacken the line, for which 
compensation had to be made by abbreviating the time 



284 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

during which the fly was allowed to remain on the wa- 
ter, by accelerating the motion of the rod when moving 
it, and by abridging the length of the cast. 

At last I saw a gleam of gold down in the depths, and 
a trout appeared wagging his way upward towards my 
fly, with the deliberation characteristic of trout of size 
in those waters. As he approached the surface, his vivid 
colors proclaimed his sex through the crystal Avater, and 
I was enabled to gauge his weight at about five pounds. 
Clearly he was a nice fish, and I assured myself of from 
twenty minutes to half an hour of such sport as would 
fully make good the labors and disappointments of the 
day. 

But the time for the back cast had come, and he had 
not reached the fly. What was to be done ? If it were 
taken from the water, and he turned to go back after 
seeing me, as he must do, and especially after seeing the 
motion incident to the back cast, there would not be one 
chance in ten of coaxing him up again. So, hoping that 
he would take it before the power to strike should be 
utterly gone, I reduced the motion of the fly to the mini- 
mum, and awaited the event. 

At last he reached it, and the fly vanished. Then I 
struck with the vigor rendered necessary by the disad- 
vantage that I was under, and stimulated by the con- 
sciousness that I had committed a stupid blunder. He 
tui'ued downward, the bamboo doubled up, and the reel 
sang. In a moment the sound ceased, the rod straight- 
ened itself, the fly came back to me empty handed, and 
he was gone. 

No offer -could have been fairer, and I could not for a 
moment blind myself to the fact that the loss was clearly 
my own fault. So I fell to abusing myself in no meas- 



Casting the Fly. 



285 



ured terms. Now when a man attacks himself he is sure 
to get the worst of it ; so John, who at heart was doubt- 
less as much disappointed as I, came to the rescue, and 
exercised his ready wit in the invention of excuses. But 
I silenced him with, "John, you know you are just as 
much disgusted with me as I am with myself. You 
know that that fish was lost by my own gross stupidity; 
there is really no excuse for it, not even that I knew no 
better. There, let us drop the subject and go back to 
caTiip. I am through fishing, at any rate for to-day." 

Emergencies of this character arise continually in the 
experiences of every angler, especially if he fishes much 
in strange waters where he seeks to locate the trout by 
casting from a moving boat. The following is a remedy: 




Fig. S5. 

The rod should be so held that the line leads from the 
reel over all the fingers of the hand employed, except the 



286 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

first. Under that finger it passes, so that it may be com- 
pressed against the handle of the rod and checked at 
will, or relaxed, and allowed to render from the reel, by 
partially opening or tightly closing that finger. 

Now when the angler has reason to believe a rising 
fish will not reach his fly before it ought to be taken off 
the water, or when he has overcast a choice spot, and 
cannot draw his flies across it without wholly or in part 
losing the power to strike, if he will arrest his rod when 
in the most favorable position, and then seizing the line 
with his left hand near the lower ring of the rod, draw it 
through the rings, being careful always to nip it with the 
first finger of his right hand when he shifts his left for 
a fresh hold, he can thus keep his fly still in motion, even 
to the extent of all the line he has out, and at the same 
time always retain unimpaired the power to strike. Af- 
ter the fish is fastened, he may be played upon the slack- 
line hanging between the lower ring and the reel, by al- 
lowing it to render between the thumb and finger of the 
left hand, thus keeping up the required tension. In this 
manner he may be brought to the net if small; while if 
of such size that a protracted contest is to be expected, 
the slack -line will probably be wholly taken up by his 
first dash, and the angler will have him upon the reel, 
thereafter to be played in the usual manner. 

This point I consider of great practical value. Hard- 
ly a day passes in my own fishing that I do not resort to 
it more or less, and by it I have taken many nice trout 
that otherwise I believe I should have lost. I should 
have resorted to it at once in the instance cited, and 
the consciousness that had I done so the result would 
probably have been different, was harder to bear than 
the loss of the fish. 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 



CHAPTER X. 

FLIES AND FLY-FISHING. 

Directions for fly-making have been given in nearly 
every book on angling. I can add nothing new to what 
has already been said time and again on the subject, and 
therefore pass it by. 

Considerable difference of opinion exists as to how 
closely the artificial fly should resemble the actual in- 
sect. At best the similarity is by no means striking ; 
still the question remains, is it worth while to strive for 
it at the increased cost of money or labor necessarily in- 
volved. On this point fly-fishermen of experience are 
pretty equally divided. 

In my opinion both parties are correct; sometimes and 
in some localities it being advisable, while in others it is 
not. This is fairly debatable ground, for our only ap- 
peal seems to be to experience, or, in other words, to the 
individual opinion which each angler may have formed 
from the experience he has had. The circumstances un- 
der which experience is gained are so important an ele- 
ment in determining the value and the applicable limit 
of the teachings derived therefrom, that divergent opin- 
ion must necessarily follow. It may well be conceived 
that he whose angling has been confined to much fished 
waters, and he who habitually fishes far from the haunts 
of men, where trout are both numerous and uneducated, 
would differ in experience, and consequently in opinion. 



288 Fly-rods and Fhj-iacMe. 

We must remember that onr horizon does not inchide 
the whole habitable globe. It may rain in the State of 
New York, while the sun is shining in full splendor else- 
where. The truth is there are few points in regard to 
fly-fishing of which it may justly be said this is right and 
that is wa-ong irrespective of attendant circumstances. 
As the inhabitants of the Eastern States differ from 
those of the West or South, so the fish of different locali- 
ties differ in habit and inclination. The most killing flies 
on the Maine waters would scare the trout of a Pennsyl- 
vania brook into fits. We know next to nothing of the 
causes which influence the conduct of fish. To-day they 
will take any kind of humbug greedily — to-morrow, with- 
out apparent change of conditions, they act as though it 
were a solemn fast, and ignore every form of temptation. 
To-day they swarm — to-morrow they have vanished. 
Every angler can recall many instances of this kind. I 
remember, six or seven years ago, I went out on one of 
the piers which support the " Upper-dam " of the Rangely 
Lakes. Before T could joint my rod, up rolled one of 
those gigantic trout for which that locality is famous. 
A swirl in the water like that from the blade of an oar, 
and the sight of a tail as broad as my hand is long, set 
me to work without unnecessary delay. From about 
nine o'clock in the forenoon until late in the afternoon 
I cast, except for a hurried lunch, without a moment's 
cessation. Twelve rods were at work within sight all 
this time, and except a comparatively little fish of three 
and a half pounds which fell to my rod, not another 
trout was taken during all that time ; yet these large 
fish were constantly rising throughout the day. This is 
by no means a solitary or unusual instance. Every one 
accustomed to those waters has seen the same happen 



Flies and Fly-fishing. ' 289 

. again and again. Tndeed I have come to regard it as 
an unfavorable indication for sport when the large trout 
roll to the surface freely. I have heard many reasons 
assigned for this, but I notice that the confidence with 
which these are asserted is in inverse proj)ortion to the 
opportunities for observation of the asserter. The really 
experienced freely confess themselves altogether at a loss 
to account for this state of affairs. For some reason or 
other that the fish will not bite is apparent, but why 
has so far eluded investigation. I know that some brook 
fishermen will jump to the conclusion that these trout 
are then feeding on gnats, and that with such flies they 
might then be taken. Let me assure such, that the an- 
gler's golden rule, " If one thing don't work, try another," 
is not altogether unknown to the Maine fishermen. Flies 
of all sorts and sizes have been tried under these circum- 
stances together with every wile known to fishermen 
(except a shot-gun), and all in vain. Indeed I have 
heard of one gentleman who, driven to desperation, dis- 
carded the fly and took to bait. Three hooks were at- 
tached to his line, armed respectively with a mouse, a 
piece of salt pork, and a raisin. 

Again, two years ago, I went with a friend up the Ma- 
galloway River, in the same State, above Parmacheene 
Lake. It seemed as though one could easily catch a 
tubful of trout that day. Using but a single fly, we 
stopped at one hundred and fifty apiece long before the 
day was done, returning all to the water except the few 
which were injured beyond recovery. They were small 
fish, few above a pound and a quarter or below half a 
pound. Two days afterwards I accompanied some friends, 
then visiting that region for the first time, over the same 
ground. No rain had fallen, and the height of the wa- 
19 



290 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



ter was unchanged. That, and the intervening day, were 
fair, and as like the day first mentioned as one pea is like 
another. Yet though we really worked hard, and de- 
voted the entire day to it, the total catch of the whole 
party would hardly amount to two dozen. Never in all 
my experience there had I seen such an utter failure of 
sport. Why was it ? It was not because we had fished 
the place out on the first occasion, since we did not then 
kill twenty fish altogether, nor had the stream been fished 
in the mean time. 

For years, between the 10th of September and the 1st 
of October, the outlet of that lake has invariably been as 
a bank, on which one could always draw for large fish, 
with the certainty that his efforts would be honored. 
Yet last year the utmost diligence Avas fruitless. The 
large fish did not "show up" there at all, those that 
were taken being found at other, and hitherto not very 
fruitful localities. It was not because the fish were gone, 
since they swarmed in the preceding spring ; and during 
the very time when they were so misusing us, they could 
be seen and heard on any still evening breaking into and 
through schools of minnows all over the lake. Again 
and again I have had excellent fishing in the morning, 
while the afternoon spent in the same places has been 
quite barren, and vice versa. 

I have at times thought I knew something about 
the habits of trout, and that I could approximate in 
the morning to the probable sport of that day, but I 
now freely admit I know little or nothing about them. 
That trout are governed by something it is reasonable 
to suppose ; but why they should throng together at 
one time and vanish at another — why they should take 
the most trans})arent fraud on one occasion, and with- 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 291 

in a few hours refuse everything, not only flies, but live 
and dead bait as well, and this without any apparent 
change of light, air, food, or water, is a problem the 
solution of which I have often attempted, but always 
in vain. 

And so it is with regard to flies. A very few varieties, 
probably not over seven or eight at the outside, will an- 
swer every purpose, and any increase in this respect is 
useless lumber — always provided, however, that the an- 
gler fishes in but one locality. I know many writers 
have expressed the same view before me, but always, as 
far as I can recollect, without this, as it seems to me, all- 
important proviso. It by no means follows, nor is it the 
fact, that the flies which kill in one State will be equally 
efiicient in another. On almost every water some one fly 
will for a time prove superior. How long this will last 
no man can tell. It may be for years, and it may be for a 
single season, or for but a few days, or even for a single 
occasion only. The form and colors of this are by no 
means invariably a copy of any natui-al insect then upon 
the water. Not only may it diifer from these, but it may 
be quite unlike anything known to the most profound in 
bug-lore ; indeed I am inclined to think the latter is far 
more frequently the case. But conceding, for the sake 
of argument, that trout are as discriminating as an ento- 
mologist in reference to form and color, how can we 
deny their utter ignorance of, or indifference to, the 
manner in which winged insects comfort themselves 
upon the water. Discarding for a moment the enthu- 
siasm with Avhich we all regard everything pertaining 
to the art, and descending to the basis of cold fact, who 
ever saw a real insect light upon the water, and then 
rush across it with the energy of a broker's clerk seek- 



293 Fly-rods and Fly-tacJcle. 

ing to make a delivery, when the hand of the clock is 
but a hair's-breadth from the hour which will mark his 
default. The truth is we cannot, with any appliance in 
common use in this country at all events, even approxi- 
mate to the usual motions of a fly when upon the wa- 
ter. We do, however, imitate somewhat the action of a 
minnow or water-bug. Again and again has the doubt 
intruded itself on my mind, whether trout regard the 
artificial fly in any other light than that of a living thing 
small enough to be eaten, Avithout a thought as to what 
portion of the aniriial kingdom it may belong. 

No living man can say, when upon unfamiliar waters, 
what fly will pi-ove most alluring. The greater his expe- 
rience the more tentative does he consider his first efforts. 
He then makes up his cast to resemble, for lack of other 
guidance, as nearly as his facilities will pei'mit, both in 
size and color, those flies he may observe upon the wa- 
ter. Failing this, he is governed by the appearance of 
the sky and water. If it is a bright day and the water 
is clear, he selects dark flies of small size. If the sky is 
overcast and the water turbid or brown in color, those 
chosen will be larger, lighter colored, and more gaudy 
in hue. Color is a very important factor in the choice, 
perhaps the most important. He therefore makes up his 
cast of flies, the colors of which contrast sharply with 
one another, until he can ascertain which best suits the 
fickle fancy- of his game. 

Therefore, for one who fishes in no fixed locality — for 
a cosmopolitan angler, so to speak — a well-stocked fly- 
book, containing many varieties and of various sizes, is 
not at all to be decried. The veteran angler never neg- 
lects when about to fish unknown waters, to interview 
and question some one who has fished there, if such can 



. Flies and Fly-fishing. 293 

be found. If not, he resorts to his host, or anybody 
else who seems able to afford information. 

Every stream has its own peculiarities, not only as to 
the most successful fly, but as to the habits of its trout 
as Avell. 

Some years ago, when I knew more about fly-fishing 
than I ever shall again, I made a fishing trip to Tobyhan- 
na, in Pennsylvania. I had frequently fished streams 
Avithin thirty or forty miles of there, and supposed I at 
least knew where to look for sport. The weather was 
propitious, rather showery perhaps, but still a good fishing 
day. The stream was a wading brook of brownish color, 
quick water being succeeded by still reaches, apparently 
stagnant. I fished the rapid water with care and indif- 
ferent success. The still waters, though they were less 
obstructed and easier to cast over, I ignored altogether, 
because the look of the banks and the water indicated a 
muddy bottom, and I then believed trout never fre- 
quented such localities. When I returned in the even- 
ing to the hotel, I was astonished to no small degree 
when the landlord informed me that these were the very 
cream of the whole fishing. Nor was this all. I found 
that the small, sober-tinted flies I had been accustomed 
to were next to worthless, and that flies larger than I 
supposed were ever successfully used for trout, and much 
more gaudy in color, were needed in those waters. . These 
revelations had not a little undermined my self-confi- 
dence, but its utter annihilation was reserved for the next 
day. I then met my landlord on the stream. I was cast- 
ing in what I considered very fair style, and when my 
flies lit upon the water I drew them diagonally across the 
stream, the droppers just skimming the surface. I had 
then never seen nor heard of any other method of ma- 



294 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

nipulating artificial flies in trout fishing, and that this was 
not the only proj^er manner to display them at all times, 
in all places, and under all conditions, I had never enter- 
tained the most remote suspicion. After feeling his way 
with some caution, in order to be sure the suggestion 
would not be deemed oflicious, he said, " That method of 
handling the flies may be all right on small streams and 
in clear water, but here it is next to useless." Had he 
told me that the flies should be displayed on the bank, 
rather than on the stream, I could scarcely have been 
more astonished. Utterly demoralized, I surrendered the 
rod, and asked for a practical exhibition of his method. 
The first cast at once indicated the expert. The flies lit 
lightly on the water, and there remained for at least thirty 
seconds, without other motion than that they gradually 
sunk below the surface. Then he drew them towards him 
by a series of very slow and short pulls, each separated 
by a brief pause from its predecessor, till near enough for 
another cast. 

That trip, though the net result in the way of fish was 
nothing to boast of, was one of the most remunerative 
fishing excursions I have ever made; for I then learned 
to be extremely difiident when strange waters were under 
discussion, and invariably to listen, with at least appar- 
ent patience and respect, to the suggestions or views of 
others. 

Though the method I then used is undoubtedly correct 
as a general rule in clear waters, at least if of no great 
depth, it is by no means invariably, or even usually, ad- 
vantageous in the brown-colored waters of which so many 
of our trouiting streams are composed, especially on deep 
pools. 

One of the most marked cases in point is the Rangely 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 395 

region of Maine, I dwell somewhat at length on the, as 
I believe, proper method of fishing there, at least for large 
fish: first, because I think it the best readily accessible 
fishing country; and secondly, because from my own 
personal observation it seems not generally known to, 
or at any rate practised by, many of the anglers who 
visit its waters. The local guides are accustomed to the 
society of gentlemen, and have, as a general rule, gentle- 
manly instincts. They are usually anxious to please their 
temporary employers, and spare no pains to afford them 
the best possible sport. Ignorant how great their confi- 
dence may be in their own skill, as well as in what spirit 
suggestion may be received, they make it an invariable 
rule never to comment in any way on the manner in 
which they fish, except in resjDonse to a direct question. 
Even then their answers are couched in terms so modest 
as not always to have the weight they deserve. 

It is not to be forgotten that these men possess powers 
of observation sharpened by constant exercise from their 
earliest boyhood. Year after year, froin the beginning 
of each open season to its end, and upon almost every 
day of the season, fly-fishing is constantly going on in 
their presence. Their employers frequently change. 
They see not only the methods employed by the many 
gentlemen they may happen to be with from time to 
time, but also those used by the sportsmen employing 
their comrades, and when off duty these are frequent 
subjects of conversation among them. Thus they are 
familiar with every phase of the art, have seen each 
practically tested, and know its value. As might be sup- 
posed, they are all skilled anglers. 

He who had passed one entire season in daily fishing 
in that locality, would believe himself, and others would 



296 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

consider him, entitled to speak with authority on what- 
ever pertained to the sport there ; yet his range of ob- 
servation would be much narrower than that of these 
guides. 

I have not jumped to the conclusions stated below. 
Though my personal experience amply confirms them, it 
is not so much my own views that I am about to express 
as those of the guides, in which, I believe, they ai-e quite 
unanimous. 

The matter first came to my attention in the following 
manner : During the first of a companionship in which 
some of the happiest moments of my life have since been 
passed, I was fishing under the tutelage of that well- 
known guide, John S, Danforth. I asked him, "John, 
who catches the most big fish of any sportsmen who 

come here ?" He replied that a Mr. S , of Boston, 

was the most successful in that respect. I asked him 
how he handled his flies, and made him show me, rod in 
hand. But a single fly was used, and that large — one 
tied on a No. 2 Harrison Sproat hook is none too big. 
The fly was cast fair and straight, allowed to sink six 
inches or even a foot where it fell, then it was moved 
very slowly three or four feet, then followed quite a 
pause, when it was again put in motion, drawn slowly to 
within convenient distance for the back cast, and taken 
quietly and smoothly from the water. The main points 
Avere. to keep the fly below rather than on the surface, 
and to move it slowly. Better fortune at once attended 
the adoption of this system, especially in the size of the 
fish taken. 

Those having the best opportunities of observation 
think that in that region the large fish are not surface- 
feeders, at least on insects. Of course every one has seen 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 297 

them, wlien in the twilight the lakes are unrippled by 
a breeze, and the slightest dimple of the mirror- like 
water is conspicuous — every one has then seen large 
trout dash fi-om underneath through a school of min- 
nows playing on the surface. For large trout to roll 
up during the month of September is also of frequent 
occurrence. But I believe no one has as yet fathomed 
the cause of this. The most careful observations fail to 
show that any food is then taken ; and, as I have said 
before, it is by some regarded as an unfavorable in- 
dication, as far as successful fishing is concerned. But 
I have no recollection, in ten quite protracted fishing ex- 
cursions to those waters, ever having seen a trout of over 
two pounds take a natural fly at all, nor have I ever seen 
a trout of over four pounds take the artificial fly or even 
a bait on the surface of the water. It may happen, but it 
is certainly by no means common. Small fish up to two, 
or even two and a half pounds, may readily be enticed to 
take a fly manipulated in the usual manner ; but if the 
larger fish are desired, and a surfeit of the smaller is soon 
had, a large fly must be used, and it must be moved 
slowly and somewhat below the surface, the deeper the 
better. 

In this manner of fishing a fair cast is absolutely in- 
dispensable to success. The line and leader must fall per- 
fectly straight, and the spring of the rod must be upon 
them at all times when the fly is in the water. By this I 
mean, that the tip of the rod must always be raised 
while the fly is in motion, so that should the fly be ar- 
rested, the rod will at once bend and throw its spring on 
the line. Not that the angler is to rely in the slightest 
degree on feeling the fish ; his eye, and bis eye alone, is 
his guide. 



398 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

The period of time during which the strike may be 
successfully delivered is very, very brief. Large fish do 
not come to the fly with that " bounce " which is so de- 
lightful a characteristic of their younger brethren ; they 
feel the dignity of their years and experience, and move 
with calmness and deliberation. He who there or else- 
where expects to take the larger fish with the fly, with- 
out patience, perseverance, and skill, will be disappointed. 
My experience has been that the largest fish of a water, 
whether scaling ten pounds or but half as many oimces, 
is cautious, deliberate, and difficult to deceive, while any 
one can take the smaller ones, be they fingerlings or 
two-pounders ; and I believe this experience is general. 
Smaller fish will come again and again to the fly, but not 
so the large ones. These may rise once, but if the op- 
portunity is lost, it is seldom, indeed, that they can be 
induced to make a second offer. 

The notion prevails among those whose knowledge of 
the Rangely region is derived solely from guide-books 
and newspaj^ers, that there eight-pounders swarm, and 
that any number of chances from such may be had in a 
single day's fishing. This is a delusion. The large and 
the small fish do not, as a general thing, frequent the 
same localities, at least at the same time. The angler 
must choose whether small fish will be sought, Avith rea- 
sonable certainty of getting plenty of them, or large fish, 
Avith very dubious prospects of success. It is to be re- 
membered that it is only exceptionally good-luck which 
is ever made matter of record ; it is human nature to be 
silent as to its failures. 

The plain truth is, that if an angler there succeeds in 
attracting, one eight-pounder in eight days' fishing, his 
luck is decidedly above the average. By trolling, the 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 399 

chances are somewhat increased ; but that has little at- 
traction for the fly-fisherman. No man, however, can 
tell when his opportunity will come. The very first cast 
may be the lucky one. 

In September, 1884, a gentleman took a trout in 
Rangely Lake of a fraction over nine pounds in actual 
weight, not only at almost his first cast in those waters, 
but also at his very first attempt to use the fly at all in 
fishing — and this directly under the noses of many ex- 
pert and locally experienced anglers. It was a bitter 
pill to them, and though it was swallowed, it was not 
without many a grimace and much railing at fortune. 

Fish may be had, but the big ones seldom at the best. 
Therefore it behooves him who would boast of the capt- 
ure of a large trout (and it is a thing to boast of), to re- 
member, "if he wants to catch any fish, he must keep his 
line wet," and be patient and persevering. His vigilance 
must never flag, ever expecting the very next cast may 
draw the wished-for prize. 

The eye must never for an instant stray from the fly, 
and at the slightest commotion in the water near where 
the fly is, or where it is supposed to be, strike at once 
and strike hard, for the friction of the water on the 
sunken line and leader will neutralize a feeble demon- 
stration. The delicate turn of the wrist of the books 
sounds well and has its sphere of usefulness, but it 
is not here ; therefore I say again strike, strike prompt- 
ly, and strike hard, but let it always be from a free reel 
that an excess of force may be neutralized. Or, if you 
can see your fly, w^atch it carefully, and should it dis- 
appear, strike without the loss of a single instant. The 
critical period is during the intermediate pause or just 
after the fly again begins to move. Not unfrequently 



300 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

have I seen at this stage of the east a large fish rise 
slowly to the fly and take it in. As far as feeling him 
was concerned, he might as well have been in another 
county ; then the eclipse of the fly alone indicates that 
he has it, and you must act without the delay of a frac- 
tion of a second or the chance is gone. 

Locate your boat first, if you fish from a boat, as is 
there usual ; or, if your stand is ashore, take your stand. 
Then allow some minutes to elapse that any alarm oc- 
casioned by your approach may subside, after which 
begin. Start at about thirty or thirty-five feet, and cast 
around your position, directing the fly at each cast about 
six feet to one side of where it last fell, and so cover the 
water like the rays of a fan. When one circuit has been 
completed without a rise, lengthen out about six feet, 
and beginning at the same starting-point repeat. Con- 
tinue this until you have all the line out you can cast 
perfectly straight every time, and do not go a single 
foot beyond. Should, however, a distant rise be seen, 
yet within reach, go for it, but in the following manner : 
Lengthen the line in the usual way, but without allow- 
ing the fly to touch the water. When enough line to 
reach is out, let the fly settle, and elevating the point of 
the rod well, reel slowly in. To retrieve the line by the 
back cast will be impossible, if the fly is left long enough 
in the water to tempt the fish. I repeat, in this fishing 
more than any other, it is indispensable to success that 
the line fall absolutely straight. The fish will not hook 
itself, nor will it afford time to gather slack line before 
it rejects the fly. 

Nor should discouragement follow because success is 
deferred. In the month of September, as far as I have 
been able to observe, these large trout are in almost con- 



Flies and. Fly-fishing. 301 

stant motion, slowly cruising about some fixed locality 
which they have selected for their spawning bed. For 
an hour or more not a single fish may be within reach, 
yet the next ten minutes a dozen may have approached. 
Fishing over or near a spawning bed is worthy only of a 
poacher, in the ojjinion of most anglers, but in the Range- 
ly region, during June and September alone the large 
fish frequent water shallow enough to subject them to 
the temptation of the fly. But twenty days of the latter 
month are available, and then nature has thrown about 
them the protection of a most fickle appetite. If all the 
large fish caught in the month of September were fairly 
taken with bait or fly, the loss would be but trifling, 
while the annual stream of ready money, which the often 
delusive hope of taking a big trout brings into this re- 
mote part of that State, otherwise so little blessed by 
nature, is of the utmost importance to its scanty but 
deserving population. Therefore the State of Maine 
permits fishing till the first of October, and in so doing 
few will question that it does wisely. 

After having been in position for half an hour or so, 
if in a boat and moderate quiet has been preserved — 
that is, if there has been no concussion upon its sides or 
bottom — reel in short and try close to the boat, particu- 
larly on the shady side. Here let your fly sink pretty 
well, and draw it slowly to the surface ; for the fish 
love the shade, and are apt to settle there. 

The foregoing is the only method by which I have 
ever known a fish of over four pounds' weight to be 
taken with the fly. Occasionally one may rise at and 
take a fly on the surface, but I have never known or even 
heard of such a case. I have heard not unfrequently of 
such rising to the fly of an angler who habitually fished 



302 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

by drawing his flies over the water in the usual man- 
ner ; but on investigation it has invariably appeared 
that the rise took place after he had become discouraged, 
or when his attention was elsewhere, and that at the 
time his flies were lying idle and were eubmerged. 

In so far I believe I express the unanimous opinion of 
the guides of that region. We now enter on more de- 
batable ground. 

I strongly prefer one fly for this fishing to a larger 
number. When first struck these large fish seem uttei'Iy 
uncontrollable by any tackle such as anglers use. Not 
that they move so rapidly, for their motions are even then, 
when life itself is at stake, rather deliberate ; but there 
is a power in them that seems irresistible. If any ob- 
struction is near, how heartily does the angler then wish 
he was rid of that second fly. Besides, these large flies 
are diflicult to retrieve, if they are allowed to sink as they 
should; and if the i-esistance of a second is added to that 
of the first, the range of the cast is considerably dimin- 
ished. Still there are times when a second fly does good 
service. It is not uncommon to take a smaller fish on 
one fly, and for him to tow the other through the water, 
and thus tempt and actually fasten a much larger fish. 
It is not very sportsmanlike, but when large trout are 
known to be within sight of the fly, and they stubbornly 
refuse to be tempted, this has been tried wuth success. 

What flies take best in those waters? There is a wide 
divergence of opinion as to this; still I will give my own 
for what it is worth. 

My first favorite is the " Parmacheene Belle." Per- 
haps I am too partial to this fly, since it is in a measure 
my own child. John and I seldom fish between half- 
past eleven and four o'clock. That interval is passed 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 303 

prowling about the woods, or shooting at a mark with a 
rifle, or in some other similar way. Often the fly-tying 
box is produced, and the word is, " Well, John, what 
shall we tease them with this afternoon ?" Thus, on 
joint suggestion, very many different combinations have 
been tried, and so some seven years ago was the "Par- 
macheene Belle " born. It was a success, and since then 
I have used it four -fifths of the time when fishing the 
head-waters of the Androscoggin River. It somewhat 
resembles the "No Name," figured opposite page 87 of 
Orvis & Cheney's book, "Fishing with the Fly." The 
body is lemon-yellow mohair, wrapped with silver tinsel; 
tail two to four strands of white and scarlet ; hackle 
white and scarlet (I have sometimes wound both hackles 
on at the same time, and sometimes the white first and 
the scarlet afterwards, and over the white, capping it as 
it were ; the latter is the better) ; wings white, striped 
with scarlet, the white decidedly predominating. 

Unless I am deceived, these large trout take the fly 
not as an insect, but as some form of live bait. If this 
is true, an imitation of some favorite form of food is 
in itself sufiicient under all circumstances, provided it 
is so conspicuous as readily to be seen. To test this 
theory the fly in question was made, imitating in color 
the belly-fin of the trout itself. 

Place the whole catalogue of known flies on the one 
hand, and this single fly on the other, and force me to 
choose and confine myself to that choice, and for fishing 
in those waters I would choose the " Parmacheene Belle" 
every time. I have tried it in sunshine and rain, at noon- 
day and in the gloaming, and at all times it has proved 
successful. 

My second choice is the " Brown-hackle," the only fly 



304 Fly-rods and Fly-taelde. 

I believe good in all waters. If I cast two or more flies, 
except of course at dusk, the Brown-hackle is almost in- 
variably one of the droj^pers. It is too well known to 
require description. 

Next is the well-known " Montreal," with crimson body 
and hackle, gold tinsel, scarlet tail, and turkey - brown 
wing. 

Fourth in order comes the " Silver Doctor." This fly 
should have a mixed wing of yellow, white, scarlet, and 
mallard, not a wing in which turkey-brown predominates. 
The body is all silver, the tail yellow, and the hackle blue 
capped with guinea-hen. It is a most astonishing combi- 
nation to that angler who has been accustomed to the sad 
tints of the more killing flies of the Middle States. But 
it may be said here, that none of the taking flies of the 
Rangely region bear the remotest resemblance to any 
insect there, or, I believe, elsewhere to be found. Nay, 
further, imitations of the local insects are there compara- 
tively quite unsuccessful. 

Next (rather on the strength of the experience of 
others than my own, for I have used this fly but little) 
comes the " Katoodle Bug," as made by Mr. Whitney, 
an old and experienced local guide. As I recollect it, 
the body is yellow for the lower, and a light cinnamon- 
brown for the upper half, scarlet tail, round gold tinsel, 
ordinary natural red hackle, and turkey - brown wing. 
The body is quite fat, as should be all flies for these 
waters. 

Lastly come the "Yellow Professor" and "Grizzly 
King," both too well known to need description. If the 
wings of these are made of two separate mallard feathers, 
set with the concave side outward instead of in the usual 
manner, they are greatly improved. In the air such a 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 305 

fly is not attractive, but handle it by a series of short, 
slow jerks a little below the surface of the water, and 
its wings will open and shut so that it really appears to 
swim — a process which seems amazingly to strike the 
fancy of large trout. 

With these flies tied on a hook of the same size as a 
No. 5 Harrison Sproat hook, for small fish, and on the 
same sized hook as No. 2 of that make for the big fel- 
lows, I consider an angler well fitted out. A greater 
variety is quite useless. 

And here let me caution you once more, if you pro- 
pose to fish these waters, or any others in which large 
fish may be had, never put a leader to your line which 
has not been tested since it was last dry and stiff. Dry 
gut will crack if bent, and the better and more elastic 
the gut, the greater will be the injury caused by such a 
mishap. These cracks in a leader defy the closest in- 
sj^ection, and their presence or absence can only be de- 
termined by a test of its strength. 

In these waters a guide is essential to the stranger if 
he wishes good sport; for, as a general rule, one place, 
as far as surface indications are concerned, looks as well 
as another, and the best fishing -grounds are and have 
been discovered only by actual trial, rod in hand. These 
the guides know of course, and they will place their 
sportsman where the chances are then best. 

Such as are reasonable in their expectations, and not 
over conceited, can have good sport in this region; but 
let me strongly advise him who goes there for the first 
time, at least, to place himself in the hands of his guide 
without reserve. Say to him, in such terms that he will 
not doubt your sincerity, that you are a stranger, and 
propose to be governed as to where and how you fish, 
20 



306 Fly-rods and Fly -tackle. 

and the flies you use, entirely by his directions ; that he 
is to make such suggestions as he thinks proper at all 
times, and that you wish him so to do. You may feel 
sure your confidence will not be abused, and that he will 
then do the very best for you that circumstances will 
permit. 

June and September are the best months for fly-fish- 
ing, the large fish being taken at other times only by 
deep trolling, or still -fishing with bait in deep water. 
Fly-fishing is not commonly practised in June, but 
judging from a single experience in 1883, I think this 
a mistake. 

But little has been written on the development of vi- 
sion and hearing in fish, and that little has been theory 
rather than deduction from actual experiment. My own 
experiments as to the effect that sound produces on trout 
(and 1 assume that all fishes are more or less alike in this 
respect) have been confined to this : Frequently, when 
able to observe a trout while myself unseen, I have 
screamed and shouted at the top of my voice. These 
demonstrations have invariably been without the slight- 
est effect; but when varied by a concussion which could 
communicate itself to the water this has no longer been 
the case, and evidence of alarm, or at least that the con- 
cussion was felt, has been apparent. In an English work, 
the name of which I in vain endeavor to recall, an account 
of some very interesting and more decisive experiments 
are given. The writer caused a building to be erected 
over the water, and made his observations through small 
apertures constructed for the purpose, so that he was 
quite concealed. His trout were well accustomed to the 
wiles of the angler, and timid. Sending a man out of 
sight behind the building, the firing of a gun by him 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 307 

produced not the slightest effect on the trout, who rose 
freely during the experiment to flies blown towards them 
through a tube. I am therefore convinced that no sound 
is injurious which does not commnnicate its vibration to 
the water, such as conversation; but concussion upon the 
side or bottom of a boat, or jumping from rock to rock, 
or blows upon a bard bottom with the wading-staff or 
with hobnailed shoes, I think ai-e so conveyed through 
and by the water, as to be in some measure perce23tible 
to the fish, and alarm them. 

That fish possess the sense of hearing, their anatomi- 
cal structure goes far to prove, while that they are not 
insensible to sounds produced in the air must be admit- 
ted, unless the doubter is prepared to call in question 
the numerous accounts by alleged eye-witnesses of their 
coming to be fed at the sound of a bell, etc. This I, 
for one, hesitate to do, notwithstanding I have never 
been able to make a sound in the air which seemed to 
produce the slightest effect on trout in the water — to 
which fish my experiments have been confined. It may, 
however, well be that the sound was perceived, while the 
fish were so habituated to the roar of the water- fall 
and similar noises, without any ill consequences ensuing, 
that sound alone was not regarded by them as an indica- 
tion of danger. - 

To what extent the power of vision is developed in 
trout remains to be considered. To the angler it is a 
question second in importance to none, since upon its 
answer depends a more or less perfect solution of the 
problem — how may the necessary connection between his 
line and his fly be best disguised ? 

Every angler has heard, or taken part in, discussion of 
the best color for leaders; and if it be permissible to judge 



308 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

of the experience of others from my own, the result has 
been an expression of doubt by one as to whether the 
color makes much difference, and a more or less ready 
assent to this on the part of the others. Never has the 
writer met any definite opinion on this subject based 
upon anything more solid than a guess. 

As in past years, so every evening of September, 1883, 
a band of anglers from many distant cities and States 
gathered around the camp-fire at Parmacheene Lake, in 
Maine, several of them artists in the use of the fly-rod, 
and true sjaortsmen all ; and when the power of vision of 
trout and the best color for leaders came up again and 
again for discussion, and always with the same negative 
result, I determined that before the next season I would 
devise some method, if not to settle, at least to throw 
some light on this question. 

In what manner and with Avhat ap2:)aratus my experi- 
ments should be conducted, was the subject of grave 
consideration. It would certainly appear at the first 
blush that to immerse the eye beneath the water and 
then to look upwards was the surest and most direct way 
to determine how a leader would appear to the trout, for 
thus the natural conditions would seem to be exactly re- 
produced. But a moment's reflection shakes this opin- 
ion. We all know how sensitive is the human eye to 
any foreign body, and how instantly the slightest irrita- 
tion of the exterior affects the action of the muscles 
which control the focussing power of the lens within, 
and whose oftice it is to form the image upon the retina. 
We also know, that unless these muscles duly perform 
their appointed duty, the eye is as powerless to convey 
to the brain a truthful image as is a telescope, the dif- 
ferent lenses of which have not been relatively adjusted 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 309 

to distinct vision. We have all, either in frolic or from 
necessity, tried to see through a pair of spectacles to- 
tally unsuited to our eyes, and we all know the result. 
Again, though the mechanism of the eye work perfectly, 
still so intimate is the relation of its various parts, so 
profound their sympathy one with the other, that the 
power of the retina to receive and transmit a perfect 
image, even were such a one formed upon it, may well 
be doubted under such circumstances. 

A gentleman well known in angling circles, and an ac- 
knowledged authority, when spoken to of the intended 
experiments, said that it was all useless ; that he had 
tried it when in swimming ; that everything appeared 
black, and that I would be able to see nothing. Subse- 
quently another gentleman tried submerging himself 
below the surface of the water, and passing gut of dif- 
ferent colors before his eyes. He found very dark gut 
alone was visible, and that only at a distance of twelve 
or fifteen inches. It is clear, therefore, that in the un- 
usual conditions in which the eyes of the gentleman first 
mentioned were then placed, they refused to act at all; 
and that the same was the case in the other instance, 
though in less degree, and that the same will be the case 
with every one's eyes to a greater or less degree, under 
such unusual conditions, I cannot doubt. The gentleman 
last named could distinguish only very dark gut, and at a 
distance of twelve or fifteen inches. It is absolutely cer- 
tain that had his eyes acted in the normal manner, noth- 
ing could prevent the formation of a perceptible image, 
except the absorption of the light proceeding from the 
object by the water. As the water was clear, it is obvi- 
ous that a stratum of twelve or fifteen inches was quite 
inadequate to produce that result, since the bottom can 



310 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

be distinctly seen in only moderately clear water at a 
much greater depth. 

That the eye of the trout is different from ours is a 
frequent remark. That it is different in size and differ- 
ent in color is true ; but that it is different in function, 
different in its relation to the reflection and refraction 
of light, is a mere supposition, resting, I believe, as at 
present advised, upon no foundation whatever. It may 
be more sensitive to light than ours ; it may render ob- 
jects visible to them through a stratum of water which 
would totally obscure them to us. But even this I know 
no reason to believe, notwithstanding the fact that will 
here occur to every one of the incessant rise of trout 
long after the shades of evening have fallen, and after a 
fly can no longer be distinguished by us upon the water. 
The difference of background towards which they look 
sufliciently accounts for this to my mind. 

It may be that some of the rays composing the beam 
of light which are incompetent to excite vision in us, 
and of the presence of which we only become aware 
as they evidence their existence by heat or chemical 
action, may be visible to them ; but if we are prepared 
to grant this, and I for one can see no reason so to 
do, it but prolongs the spectrum in one or both direc- 
tions. It is too impi'obable even for mere surmise, in 
absence of direct proof, that they can see both ends of 
the spectrum while the middle is to them a blank ; their 
every action in reference to the color of flies negatives 
this. 

The eye, whether of fish or flesh, is but a lens re- 
fracting rays of light, and converging them to form a 
])icture on a screen — the retina. In this respect, and as 
far as the mechanical principles of construction are con- 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 311 

cerned, it has its exact counterpart in the camera of the 
photographer. 

Light is light, and by its aid all animated beings see, 
and in its absence all alike are blind. The laws of nat- 
ure operate equally and invariably both above and be- 
neath the water; and until it is demonstrated to be 
otherwise, I cannot think that trout see in any different 
manner, or by different means than do we. There is 
probably a difference in degree, but I cannot believe in 
kind. 

Nor is this a matter of mere surmise unsupported by 
evidence. The eye, whether of fish, flesh, or fowl, up to 
the i^oint where the image is formed upon the retina, is a 
mere mechanical arrangement, the effect of which upon 
light any good optician can compute. That a mechanical 
arrangement is framed by the hand of Nature instead of 
by that of man, is suflftcient to induce many to believe, 
and some to insist, that therefore its function must dif- 
fer in some mysterious and abnormal manner, and un- 
bridled license is given to the imagination. In this spirit 
the extent of the visual powers of fish is not unfrequent- 
ly discussed. 

But in point of fact a lever is a lever, whether it be a 
crow-bar in the hands of a quarryman, a fly-rod wielded 
by an angler, or a bone in a horse's leg ; and the action 
of a lens upon light is but the action of a lens, whether 
it be located in the living eye, or shaped and placed by 
man to form the object - glass of a telescope. In each 
and every similar case the same fixed laws determine 
the effect which will be produced. 

The human eye, if in its normal condition, gives dis- 
tinct vision of objects, whether distant or close at hand, 
and this not by any mysterious function of the retina, or 



313 Fly-rods and Fly-taclde. 

the nerves Avhich convey the impression to the brain, or 
of the brain itself, but by a simple mechanical adjustment 
of the lens which forms the image. If the rays of light 
proceed from a distant object, they strike the lens when 
substantially parallel, and it has nothing to do but to 
converge them to a focus. If, however, they proceed 
from an object close at hand, they then strike the lens 
while diverging, and must first be made parallel, and 
afterwards converged to a focus, before a distinct image 
can be formed. Obviously, then, the focal point in the 
second case will be farther from the lens than in that 
first given. In the telescope this is adjusted by varying 
the distance between the object-glass and the eye-piece, 
while in the human eye an involuntary alteration of the 
convexity of its lens accomplishes that result. Unless 
this adjustment is possible, the human eye cannot and 
does not give distinct vision at all distances. It is not 
possible in all individuals, and then near-sightedness or 
far-sightedness follows — the aid of a compensating lens 
is required to perform this adjustment, and spectacles 
must be employed. If the anatomy of the human eye 
teaches this, and it is beyond question that it does, an 
examination of the structure of the trout's eye should 
give at least some indication of its powers. 

The lens of the human eye has the ordinary lens form, 
and is a little more convex on the inner than on the 
outer side ; and by a contraction or expansion of its di- 
ameter, thus changing its convexity and consequently its 
refracting power, does it adapt itself when in health al- 
ways to form its focus — or in other words, to produce a 
distinct image — at the same point, the retina. 

Does the eye of the trout possess this or any equiva- 
lent property ? It does not. The lens is as spherical as 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 313 

a buck-shot, and of a consistency so indurated as appar- 
ently to preclude the possibility of any change of form. 
Therefore, it seems to me trout must necessarily be quite 
near-sighted, and consequently lack the power to distin- 
guish details of form except within very narrow limits. 
And it is believed that this defect in vision extends more 
or less to all fishes; for though I have myself dissected the 
eye of the trout and one other variety of fish only, still 
the treatises on comparative anatomy lead me to believe 
that the eyes of all are constructed in substantially the 
same manner. 

Is not the action of trout towards the artificial fly just 
what this would lead us to expect? Place the natural 
insect and its artificial copy side by side, and is the re- 
semblance sutticiently close to deceive the human eye for 
a single moment? Though in color they may be ap- 
proximately similar — as to form, only the eye of charity 
can detect a resemblance. Color trout can undoubtedly 
distinguish at some distance, as well as that there is an 
object apparently edible trespassing on their domain, but 
it would seem that details of form are only perceptible 
at close quarters. 

Motion of any body large enough to do them an in- 
jury they are prompt to perceive. In no element is the 
struggle for life so bitter. To eat others and to avoid 
being eaten are the sole occupations of the greater part 
of a fish's life. Constant vigilance against the approach 
of their man3^ enemies is with them the price of life ; 
therefore, nothing terrifies them so much as motion, and 
all the more since their imperfect vision fails accurately 
to apprise them whether the moving body is friend or foe. 

The foregoing applies to leaders as well as to any 
other moving object ; and since at some point between 



314 Fly-rods and Fly -tackle . 

that at Avhicli the fly is first perceived and the fly itself, 
the leader must come within the range of distinct vision, 
the advisability of concealing it as much as jiossible can- 
not be questioned. 

True, at times the desire to eat preponderates over the 
fear of being eaten, and then anybody can catch trout in 
almost any manner that apj^eals to their appetite. But 
the art of fly-fishing is to outwit the fish when in their 
ordinary mood of distrust, not for the angler to wait 
until they are driven to desperation by the pangs of 
hunger. To take one trout with the fly under adverse 
circumstances, gives moi*e pleasure to the true angler 
than to derrick out a tubful at the rate of one every 
ten seconds. 

The prudent man, when about to tempt fortune, pre- 
pares himself to meet the worst, well knowing that re- 
sources adequate to that will enable him to triumph over 
lesser evils. So with the true angler. He takes it for 
granted that the fish will be timid and disinclined to 
feed, and prepares his tackle to meet such contingencies. 
Then the color and thickness of the leader may be of 
importance, and to determine if possible to what extent 
the following experiments were tried. 

On reflection it seemed that Avhile the leader should 
be inspected from the same direction, and against the 
same background as when viewed by the trout, that this 
must be done with the eye without the water, and that 
with properly constructed apparatus this could be accom- 
plished and reliable results be obtained. A water-tight 
box was therefore made, twenty-eight inches long, and 
six inches wide, and four inches in the remaining direc- 
tion, all inside measurements. One end Avas closed with 
a thick glass plate, while the other was left open. It was 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 315 

painted a dark mud color within. A frame was provided 
in which the box could swing like a cannon on its trunn- 
ions, and so arranged that though the normal position of 
the box was perpendicular, with the glass below and the 
open end above, yet it could be inclined, and the upper 
end dii'ected to any part of the sky. 

For the purpose of experiment, uncolored, two shades 
of coffee-colored, and three shades of mist-colored (cop- 
peras and logwood dyed) leaders were procured, also 
three samples of No. 4 enamelled water -proofed line, 
yelloAvish, greenish, and brownish in color. 

The box Avas filled with water, the samples moved 
about upon, or beneath the surface, while the writer, 
with his head and the glass end of the box wrapped in a 
dark cloth, like a i^hotographer, directed the apparatus 
towards the sky and noted the results. 

From viewing the under surface of a body of water 
contained in an aquarium through the lower portion of 
its glass sides, it was expected that the under surface of 
the water in the box or tube might look like a mirror, 
and vision of anything above the surface be cut off. 
Such was not the case. Objects above the surface could 
be seen distinctly as through a glass window. 

The variously colored leaders were all alike conspicu- 
ous to a surprising degree, so much so as to cause won- 
der that a fish should ever rise to anything connected 
with them, and this whether above, on, or below the sur- 
face. It seemed as though the coffee-colored leader was 
the most visible, but otherwise one could not be told from 
the other, all difference of color seeming to be lost. Then 
some drawn mist-colored leader was tried, quite dark in 
tint and as fine as a hair. Though about as plain to 
sight as a pencil-mark on white paper, yet it was ap- 



316 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

parent that its small diameter made a great difference 
in its favor. 

During all this the idea was gradually gathering force 
that these experiments only tended to show how the ob- 
ject appeared when viewed by a fish lying directly be- 
neath it ; and upon trying some flies, and finding that 
only with difficulty could the most gaudy be distinguished 
from those sober in color, the box was dropped, and light 
sought in another direction. 

A bath-tub of considerable size, its length facing a 
window and the sky, was filled with water to the depth 
of fourteen inches. Two mirrors were submerged in the 
water, one at each end of the tub, and so inclined that 
by looking down upon them the reflected image of any- 
thing in or npon the water could readily be seen. A 
joint from a rod was used to manipulate the leader to be 
experimented with, and by moving it to and fro in the 
water, it could be viewed at almost any degree of ob- 
liquity. 

Here, again, the results were a surprise. Though I 
have habitually used a colored leader, still I had supposed 
color was of questionable utility. Such seemed not to be 
the case. The cofiee color was still the most conspicu- 
ous, but it was but little more so than the natural-colored 
gut, which latter, in all positions and angles, looked like 
a streak of silver. The mist-colored leaders, in some posi- 
tions, had the same appearance, but always it seemed in 
a less degree; while at times, and at certain angles and 
directions of motion with reference to the light, they 
seemed more or less to disappear. The darkest tinted, a 
decided azure, gave the best result. I was unable to de- 
termine with satisfactory certainty in what positions in 
reference to light, etc., this partial or total disappearance 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 317 

took place. It certainly did seem that when the leader 
was moved towards the light it shone the most, and by 
the refraction of transmitted light, and I attributed the 
better result given by the darker leader to its greater 
opacity to such light. A piece of iron binding - wire, 
black in color, and of course totally opaque, and of about 
the same diameter as the leaders, was, however, plainly 
visible in all positions, though not more so than uncol- 
ored gut. Indeed I incline to think that at all times the 
least conspicuous leader that can be made may be plainly 
seen from some directions, while at the same time invisi- 
ble from others. 

Here, again, I was impressed by the great difference 
in result caused by varying the diameter. This dimen- 
sion appears in the water to be much enlarged, and my 
experiments are emphatic as to the utility of fine tackle. 
This was demonstrated beyond question by the drawn 
gut, i.e., gut drawn through a plate, which, as before 
stated, was quite dark in color and hair-fine. 

The various samples of line were all equally visible — 
"plain as a pikestaff" — and not the slightest difference 
in favor of one over the other could be detected. 

It is to be understood that the appearances described 
are those shown by reflection in the mirrors, also that all 
the gut used was of the same diameter. 

But these experiments, conducted in-doors as they nec- 
essarily were, and therefore with the light coming from 
but one direction, were not satisfactory. 

A tin -lined tank was therefore constructed, five feet 
long, fourteen inches wide, and fourteen and a half inches 
deep, measured on the inside. Where the bottom met 
one end, the wood was cut away to form an aperture 
tliree inches high and the width of the tank, and a plate 



318 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

of glass was inserted, inclining slightly inward from the 
perpendicular. The tank was painted a dark slate color 
without and within. It closely resembled a coffin with 
parallel sides, and its advent excited considerable inter- 
est both in the neighborhood and in the household itself, 
since it was delivered in my ab:^ence, and I had tliought- 
lessly omitted to give any intimation of its expected ar- 
rival. A stand was also provided, which, when the tank 
was placed upon it, raised its bottom about three and 
a half feet from the ground. 

The whole apparatus was set up in the back-yard, dis- 
tant forty feet from the house, which bore nearly east 
from it. To the westward the nearest building was about 
one hundred and twenty feet distant, while to the north 
and south there were none nearer than several hundred 
feet. Thus the tank was located as nearly as possible in 
the middle of the space enclosed within an ordinary city 
block of houses, and perfectly open to the sky. Its length 
lay nearly north and south. From about half-past eight 
o'clock in the morning until about five o'clock in the af- 
ternoon it was unshaded from the sun. 

Having filled the tank with water, the first problem 
attacked was to determine how trout see objects above 
the water. That they were able so to do I had often 
seen demonstrated, not always to my entire satisfaction. 

As heretofore intimated, if any one will look through 
one of the side glasses of an ordinary aquarium, and up- 
ward towards the surface of the water, they will find that 
surface to resemble polished silver, and to be totally 
opaque to vision. Objects lying above it are as invisible 
as though a stone wall intervened. Or the experiment 
may be more conveniently tried with one of those thin 
uncut olass tumblers now in fashion. Half fill one with 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 319 

water, aud stand a spoon in it. When held above the 
eye and viewed at any angle through the sides, the de- 
scribed appearance of the surface and the utter invisi- 
bility of that portion of the spoon uncovered by the 
water will be noted. But when viewed directly through 
the bottom, tlie surfjxce will then appear transparent, and 
objects beyond it can easily be seen. 

Enveloping ray head and the glass with a black cloth, 
that no light might enter from below (a course invari- 
ably followed in all my experiments with this tank), I 
carefully examined the surface of the water. It ap- 
peared perfectly opaque, until happening to cast my 
eyes directly upward, I saw a clear and transparent 
space bounded on one side by the end of the tank, and 
on the other by a curved line strongly fringed with 
prismatic color. In this clear space the windows of 
houses, distant two hundred feet and more, could readily 
be seen, clothed, as was every object visible within it, 
with all the colors of the rainbow. This unexpected 
appearance of color seemed to discredit the directions 
of the books that the clothing of the angler should be 
sober in hue, since no matter how quiet his clothing, it 
appeared he must look to the fish as though arrayed like 
Solomon in all his glory. But subsequent reflection con- 
vinced me that this phenomenon was due to a lack of 
parallelism between the surfaces of the glass and of the 
water. This gave to the body of water through which 
the object was viewed the form of a truncated prism, 
to the well-known action of which upon light I attribute 
the presence of the colors. 

The transition from that portion of the surface which 
was transparent to that which was opaque, was quite 
abrupt. With thirteen inches depth of water, the curved 



320 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



boundary line was part of a circle having a diameter of 
twenty inches. The diameter of this circle for any 
depth of water may readily be computed by the follow- 
ing proportion: Assuming five feet to be the required 
depth, for the purpose of illustration ; then 13 : 20 : : 60 
(five feet reduced to inches) : to answer, 92y% inches, or 
nearly eight feet. These measurements, though not sci- 
entifically accurate, are within a fraction of an inch of 
the truth, and therefore sufficiently near for pi*actical 
purposes. 

The following diagram, in which the relative propor- 
tions are carefully preserved, embodies the foregoing. 




A represents the tank ; B the glass ; C the water-level 
at the time ; and I) the position of the division between 
the transparent and the opaque portions of the surface. 

The effort was next made to determine how far above 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 331 

the surface of the water an object must be at a given 
distance, to render it visible within the circle ; or in 
other words, to determine the limits within which refrac- 
tion would produce this result. For this purpose a red 
rag was used. It was placed on the water-level at the 
extreme end of the tank, thus being five feet (accurately 
four feet ten and a half inches) from the observer. It 
was then slowly raised, as nearly as possible perpendicu- 
larly, till it began to appear within the edge of the trans- 
parent circle. This took place at an elevation of five 
inches from the surface; whence I conclude that anything 
over ten inches above the surface for every ten feet of 
distance, will be visible. 

Herein we find the reason why experience has shown 
the advantage of wading over fishing from the bank ; 
or when fishing from a boat, that it is better to cast sit- 
ting rather than standing. 

Though theoretically we all know that an object seen 
within this circle cannot appear in its true position, still 
perhaps it is not generally realized how extensive this 
apparent displacement really is. 

In the preceding illustration F represents the actual 
position, and F the position of the red rag as it ap- 
peared to me during the preceding experiment. As 
the body seen approaches more and more nearly to a 
position immediately above the trout, this apparent dis- 
placement uniformly diminishes in extent, until, when 
on the perpendicular, it ceases altogether and the body 
appears in its true position, since there is then no refrac- 
tion at all. 

We have all cast in vain upon unruffled waters, and 
prayed for a ripple, and we have all noticed the marked 
change of luck which followed its advent. The reason 
21 



322 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

of this was apparent at once. For on disturbing the sur- 
face of the water in the tank, even though but little, the 
transparent place at once disappeared, and the surface 
became entirely opaque throughout, thus completely cut- 
ting off all vision of any object above it. Since this 
made little or no difference in the visibility of fly or 
leader when in actual contact with the water, I cannot 
doubt that the result in question is due to the cause 
assigned. It would therefore appear that when the Avater 
is roughened by a breeze, the angler may, without disad- 
vantage, consult his convenience as to whether he will 
wade or stand when casting ; also that when the ripple 
is local, that it is advisable, other things being equal, to 
cast into it, even though its area be quite limited. 

The shadow of a moving fly-rod was distinctly and 
conspicuously visible through the glass and water, as a 
dark streak moving upon the surface, and this whether 
the latter was smooth or roughened. 

It would require undue space, and be but confusing 
to the reader, should I sejjarately detail each experiment 
on the visibility of leaders, extending as they did over 
months, and including almost every hour of the day and 
condition of sky. I therefore merely describe how my 
experiments were conducted, and the conclusions deduced 
therefrom. 

At first the tank was painted dark slate color within 
and without ; subsequently the interior was changed to 
a mud color, formed by a mixture of brown and green 
paint. For some time different colored leaders were 
tested and compared in pairs. Each was weighted, and 
suspended perpendicularly in the water by an assistant at 
the farther end of the tank. They were then gradually 
brought nearer the observer until one became visible, if 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 323 

neither could be seen before, and the distance noted with 
such remarks as seemed appropriate. Then they were 
moved to and fro upon the surface of the water, and the 
relative excellence of each written down. 

Subsequently a square brass frame was constructed, 
corresponding in size to the cross section of the interior 
of the tank. Each end of the upper edge was provided 
with an extension, which rested on the upper edge of the 
tank and retained the frame where placed. Across this 
frame silkworm gut of various colors was stretched, like 
the bars of a gridiron. This frame, bearing the gut to be 
tested, Avas at first placed perpendicularly in the tank and 
parallel with the ends, and the visibility of each strand 
was noted. Then it was moved six inches nearer to the 
observer, and the result again recorded; and so on, mov- 
ing the frame but six inches at each step, until all could be 
plainlj^ seen. The frame Avas then returned to the start- 
ing-point, and the lower end raised until it was about 
two inches below the surface of the water, in which 
position it Avas secured by a wire hook. The frame was 
then supported upon the extensions to its upper edge, 
Avhich rested on the rim of the tank, and the Avire hook 
sustaining the lower edge. Since the upper edge was 
above the surface of the water and quite close to it, it 
was invisible, and the various strands of gut appeared to 
enter the water and lie at quite an acute angle with it. 
The intention was to reproduce as nearly as possible the 
position ordinarily assumed by that portion of a leader 
to Avhich the tail-fly is attached. Ten different colored 
strands were stretched upon this frame and compared, 
viz. : black, dirty olive-green, pea-green, dark, medium, 
and light neutral tint (copperas and logwood), ink-dye, 
darker and lighter coffee colored, and uncolored. The 



324 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

tank Avas filled with Ridgewood water (Brooklyn, New 
York), which was quite clear. Subsequently this was 
browned with a concentrated and filtered decoction of 
coffee, and finally milk was added to give the turbidity 
of roily water, such as is seen upon the subsidence of 
a stream after a freshet. 

I deduce from my experiments the following conclu- 
sions : All leaders are visible when directly over the fish, 
and in a degree entirely irrespective of their color. Here 
diameter alone affects the result. This dimension always 
appears to be much enlarged when the leader is in con- 
tact with, or below the surface ; and if it is at all ad- 
vantageous to conceal the connection between the fly 
and the line, the thinnest practicable gut should be em- 
ployed. 

Except at twilight, all leaders, when viewed obliquely 
through clear water, are visible through a stratum of 
two feet or less, but the color makes considerable dif- 
ference in their obtrusiveness. 

Whether the water is shaded or not affects these re- 
sults but slightly, and the same may be said of a gloomy 
or lowering sky. 

The under side of the surface forms the backgi'ound 
against which the leader is viewed, and as it contrasts or 
harmonizes with the apparent color of this, so is it more 
or less conspicuous. On the surface the bottom is re- 
flected, and its color modifies, in a degree diminishing 
as the depth increases, that received from the sky. 

With clear water the following results were obtained: 
A dark leader, irrespective of its color, should not be 
used. The black gut was invariably the first that came 
into sight, closely followed by dark olive -green and a 
dark neutral tint. At any time of the day, and with 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 325 

any ligbt, the black could always be seen through a 
stratum of water which utterly ecliiised the lighter tints; 
and this was equally true of the olive-green and dark 
neutral tint, except that in the twilight they ajjpeared to 
less disadvantage. 

When the rays of the sun fell perpendicularly upon 
the water, or nearly so, say from ten to three o'clock, 
nothing gave a better general result than uncolored gut. 
True, occasionally it shone like silver, and then nothing 
could be jjlainer ; but this did not take place in all po- 
sitions, and except at such times it had a decided advan- 
tage over the others, and even at its worst it was at no 
great disadvantage. 

He who will devise means to destroy the glitter of 
the surface of gut will deserve the thanks of the angling 
fraternity. I regret circumstances have prevented me 
from trying Mr. Fred Mather's method of applying the 
juice of the milk- weed for this purpose. 

The fact that the sun was obscured did not seem to 
destroy the advantage of the uncolored gut between the 
hours mentioned ; but, except with a rain sky, at other 
times uncolored gut was far inferior to all the others ex- 
cept the black ; indeed it was at times difficult to say 
which of the two was the most obtrusive, both being visi- 
ble the entire length of the tank. 

I can attribute the difference in the appearance of un- 
colored gut to nothing but the direction in which the 
light falls on the water. When the sun is perpendicular 
or approximately so, it seems to be at its best; while as 
the rays fall more and more obliquely on the water, it 
becomes more and more conspicuous, 

A light coffee color (obtained by infusing the gut in a 
strong decoction made by boiling red onion-skins in wa- 



326 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

ter) almost equalled the uncolored gut at its best, while 
apparently far less dependent on the direction of the light. 
For general use at all times, particularly over a light-col- 
ored bottom, I incline to think it one of the best of colors. 

If however, leaders of but one color are to be used at 
all times, unquestionably tliat color should be a light 
shade of ink - dye — that given by " Arnold's Writing- 
fluid " diluted with an equal quantity of water. 

This always and at all times gave a good result, while 
it took the first place in merit oftener than any other 
one color. Over a neutral tint (copperas and logwood) 
of as nearly as possible the same shade, it had quite a 
decided advantage. It Avas at its worst in the middle of 
the day. 

A pea -green strand also gave an excellent average. 
Though it could at times be seen when some of the oth- 
ers could not, it was never obtrusive. I believe this 
would have given better results had it been a shade or 
two lighter in tint. For meadow-brook fishing it should 
be excellent — perhaps unequalled. 

The preceding comparisons of the various colors re- 
late solely to clear water. 

A change in the color of the water was followed by 
altogether different results. A very strong decoction of 
coffee was prepared ; it was then further concentrated 
by protracted boiling, and finally filtered through paper. 
This was added to and mixed with the water, until I 
thought it as brown as any bog trout-stream I had ever 
seen. The color, as seen in the tank, was quite marked, 
while in a clear tumbler a faint tinge of brown was just 
noticeable. I have done considerable fly-fishing in such 
waters, and no pains were spared to reproduce the natu- 
ral color faithfully. 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 337 

The results obtained on the clear water were here re- 
versed. All the lighter colored leaders were at a decided 
disadvantage, the iincolored gut being the most visible, 
while the black was least so, and this irrespective of the 
time of day, and sun or shade. The dark olive and dark- 
er neutral tint gave almost, but not quite, as good results, 
and in the order named. No leader could be seen through 
more than three and a half feet of water. The uncolored 
gut was invariably the first to appear, closely followed 
by both of the coffee-colored. 1 had supposed the latter 
would prove excellent in brown water, but such was by 
no means the case, since at all times and under all cir- 
cumstances these were nearly as objectionable as the un- 
colored, and far more so than the other light colors. The 
pea-green was the next to appear. The ink-dyed leader 
gave very fair results, but still inferior to darker shades. 
The fact that the uncolored leader could always be seen 
at more than double the distance at which the black first 
began to be visible, illustrates the relative merits of the 
two. 

Here also may probably be found the reason why large 
and brighter colored flies are required in such waters. 
Having completed my experiments with the browned 
water, it was next rendered turbid by adding a little 
milk. To imitate the condition of a stream on the subsi- 
dence of a freshet, and when its water had begun to clear, 
though still perceptibly roily, was the object in view. 
This, as far as the eye could determine, was successfully 
accomplished, yet no leader could be seen through more 
than eight inches of the water, even at noonday and with 
an unclouded sky. 

Nothing surprised me more than the difference in ob- 
trusiveness shown by different specimens, so nearly alike 



328 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

in shade and color in the air as to require careful in- 
spection to distinguish between them. This was marked 
in comparing the ink-dye and the lighter neutral tint 
(copperas and logM'^ood). The intensity of color in both 
was almost exactly equal, while the neutral tint was 
somewhat duller on the surface. For this reason I had 
always supposed the latter to be less obtrusive, but I 
cannot doubt I was mistaken. I was the more pleased 
with this result, since to obtain the ink-dye color the gut 
can be dyed cold, and with less trouble and less loss of 
strength than where copperas or heat is required. The 
relative merits of the two can be judged from the fact 
that sometimes the neutral tint was visible through a 
foot more water than the other. 

For years events have been gradually forcing me to- 
wards the opinion that success in fly-fishing (particularly 
where the fish were educated to the angler's wiles), de- 
pended as much upon concealing the connection between 
the line and the fly as upon any other one thing. We 
have all cast, time and time again, without a rise, where 
we knew the fly was seen by trout every time it touched 
the water. We have then changed and changed our cast, 
yet all in vain. We have all seen a trout rise to the fly, 
approach it closely, and then turn from it, and revert 
whence he came. Under these trying circumstances per- 
mit me to suggest that after the cast has been varied a 
reasonable number of times without success, that the 
leader be changed to one of a different color. I feel con- 
fident that in many cases this will solve the difliculty. 

For the guidance of the beginner I suggest the follow- 
ing rules, based on what I believe to be the teachings of 
the preceding experiments. Provide yourself at least 
with uncolored and ink-dyed leaders, some of light tint. 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 329 

and some very dark; and if a meadow-stream is to be 
fished, or water in which an appreciable quantity of green 
floating matter is present, then with green leaders as 
well. Under the latter conditions begin and end with 
the green leader, unless lack of success indicate that a 
change is advisable or will make no difference. 

If the water appears brown- colored use your darkest 
colored leader at all hours. To produce this the ink may 
be used undiluted, for you need not fear to get it too 
dark. 

Under ordinary conditions of clear water, commence 
with a lighter ink-dyed, varying to the uncolored about 
half-past ten in the forenoon, and returning to the first 
from three to four o'clock. 

If trout are present, and persistently refuse to rise after 
changing your cast a reasonable number of times, vary 
the color of tlie leader, no matter what it may have been. 
Finally, be not deceived by the way the leader appears 
as you look down upon it, for this gives little or no indi- 
cation of its visibility when viewed from underneath. 

Nine varieties of enamelled water -proofed line were 
tested, viz.: light pea-green, Paris-green with black spiral 
thread, liglit green with a brown spiral thread, translu- 
cent with reddisli-brown thread in close spirals, white and 
brown in equal proportions, translucent with green and 
red spiral thread, white with black spirals, white with 
black threads in diamond pattei-n, and white with brown 
threads in diamond pattern. All these were quite visi- 
ble. The least obtrusive was a line which seemed to 
have been braided from white silk with two black threads 
passing spirally around it in opposite directions, thus 
forming a black diamond-shaped pattern upon the white 
ground. The water-proofing had given to the white silk 



330 Fly-rods and Fly-tacJde. 

a translucent color of a faint, dull, greenish tinge. The 
next in order of merit seemed to be the pea-green. 

The question is often asked from how far below the 
surface can a trout see a fly. 

To this question I sought an answer from Mr. John W. 
Chittenden, one of the most intelligent of that very intel- 
ligent class of men, the submarine divers. 

I showed him a "fin-fly" (white wing and crimson 
body), tied on a hook about a quarter of an inch across 
the bend. He said that in clear salt water such a fly 
could be seen on the surface from a depth of fifty feet, 
and that it would then look larger than it did as he held 
it in his hand. He instanced a case where he was work- 
ing on a wreck in sixty-five feet of water, when he easily 
read the name on the stern of the wrecking - schooner 
floating overhead, as well as the marks on the packing- 
cases as they were hoisted over its side, when they were 
five feet above the surface of the water. These marks 
and letters were about three inches long. He remem- 
bered seeing the end of a rope half an inch in diameter 
attached to one of those cases as it was hoisted aboard 
the wrecking-schooner. 

At these depths the surface took its color from the sky, 
uninfluenced by the bottom, looking white with a white 
sky, and dark inky-blue with a blue sky. A surface wind 
made no difterence in the visibility of objects in the water 
or on its surface, but with a heavy ground-swell the water 
was sometimes so turbid that objects but a few feet dis- 
tant were obscured. 

Fresh water was not generally as clear as sea water, 
particularly in rivers where there was a current. The 
surface, he said, looked very near, so that when he was 
at a depth of fifty feet it seemed almost within reach of 



Flies and Fly-fishing. 331 

his hand. The shadows of moving objects were plainly 
visible, whether the surface was smooth or rough, A 
clear white or a red could be seen the greatest distance. 
When sixty feet below the surface he had read the fine 
print of a testament fi'om the cargo of a wreck he was at 
work upon. 

On one occasion he was at work on an asphaltum bed 
at the bottom of Cardenas Bay. The asphaltum was 
found between strata of white clay, which it was the 
custom to loosen by light blasting, in order to facilitate 
the removal of the asphaltum. Worms occurred in this 
clay, of which the fishes of the vicinity were very fond. 
Holding one of these worms between his fingers, and 
stirring up the clay until the water was so turbid that 
his hand was quite invisible, he could feel the fishes rub- 
bing against his fingers and tugging at this worm. By 
what sense they Avere then guided to their food is an in- 
teresting question. That they had become accustomed 
to regard this turbidity as a call to dinner, and that there- 
after they were directed by smell to their food, suggests 
itself as one explanation. 

But from whatever depth trout may be able to see a 
fly, I have never seen reason to suppose they could be 
coaxed to rise to one from the bottom in depths exceed- 
ing nine or ten feet. That in clear water they can see it 
much farther, particularly if in motion, is probable, even 
though the details of its form may be obscure. 

But we all know they are peculiar creatures and full 
of whims, and one of these seems to be reluctance to 
move any great distance for their food. Perhaps experi- 
ence has taught them that it, too, is endowed with life, 
and that it may be gone before tliey can reach it. A fact 
within the observation and experience of every angler 



332 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

seems to confirm this view, since we all know that if a 
trout rises, and we wish him, the fly should be cast nearly 
or quite over him, without touching the water at any in- 
termediate point. 

But however this may be, one thing seems certain, and 
that is, that neither the angler nor the trout are anything 
like as acute as is generally supposed. The wiles of the 
former are by no means so well concealed, nor are the 
latter so very quick to perceive them. The hook, unless 
very small, they can always see, and the leader, when 
within a foot or two of it. Again and again have I won- 
dered during these experiments how was it possible ever 
to deceive a fish, so prompt to take alarm, by a humbug 
so transparent. 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 333 



CHAPTER XL 

MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 

No method of fly-fishing possesses the charm of wading. 
Through scenes where Nature shows her utmost loveli- 
ness the trout-stream takes its way, itself a jewel mir- 
roring in its bosom every detail of its faultless setting. 
Deep shadows, gemmed with specks of sunshine, cover 
the water. Stately trees, graceful ferns and flowers, and 
mossy rocks line its banks. Every turn of the stream is 
a new picture, varied in detail but uniform in beauty — 
at once the delight and the despair of the artist. The 
cool damp air gives new life and vigor to lungs charged 
with the foul vapors of city life, while over all the mur- 
mur of the living water proclaims here is peace. 

It may happen to the angler to wander far, and cast 
his fly upon many waters. But no matter what success 
attends his efforts elsewhere, his memory still delights 
to linger, above all, on the quiet beauties of those happy 
days, Avlien youth and he wandered hand -in -hand to- 
gether down the murmuring stream. Not only is it in 
every way the most delightful, since every sense is fed, 
but it is at the same time the most artistic method of 
fly-fishing. 

He who thinks to have much sport with the fly at the 
expense of the trout of the much fished brooks and 
streams of the New England and Middle States, must 
bring every resource of his art to bear, and that from a 



334 Fly -rods and Fly-tacJde. 

well-stocked arsenal. Civilization in its onward march 
educates trout as well as men, and many an angler whose 
catch in the wilds of Maine is only limited by his de- 
sires, could hardly take enough in the Avaters first men- 
tioned to impart a smell to his creel. 

It is not my purpose to tell when, where, and how to 
fish these watei's, since that has already been fully de- 
scribed by no less a master than Thaddeus Norris him- 
self, as well as many other and lesser lights of the gentle 
art. I frankly admit I can improve in nothing on what 
they have said. But some practical hints what to do 
that the sport of the present may be unalloyed Avith in- 
jury to the health, and pain in the future, may perhaps 
not be amiss. 

Firstly, the clothing should be sober gray in color, that 
if possible the suspicious game may mistake the motions 
of the angler for the Avaving of some branch of a forest- 
tree wooed by the summer wind. Upon the feet low 
heavy shoes should be Avorn, studded on the soles and 
heels with a fcAV, and but a fcAv, soft hobnails ; or bet- 
ter still, those small round-headed nails sometimes seen 
in coAvhide boots. As these Avear smooth they should be 
removed and new ones substituted. 

It will be necessary to give your personal attention to 
this, for the heart of the average shoemaker is modelled 
on his own lapstone. In vain will be your order to 
put in but a fcAA^, and delusive his promise to comply. 
Either he revels in the use of hobnails, or his idea of " a 
few " is complied with as long as any portion of the 
sole is visible betAveen their heads. It is not alone to 
the cohesion of iron Avith stone that the benefit derived 
from the use of hobnails in AA'ading is due, but also to 
the interspaces thus formed in the bottom of the sole. 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 335 

engaging with tlie inequalities of the rocky surface with 
which it is brought in contact. If the nails are used in 
excess, the shoes then practically become paved with 
iron, and the second element of safety is lost. It will 
be long before I forget how my thoughts were directed 
to this problem. 

It was in May, many years ago, in Pennsylvania. The 
stream was at that time a strong one, almost too strong 
for wading unless great circumspection was used. In 
many places it was impassable, while elsewhere so dark- 
colored was the water, that the use of a graduated Avading- 
staff was necessary to inform the angler Avhether he was 
venturing into two feet of water or twenty. 

That law of nature Avhich makes the most inaccessi- 
ble places invariably seem the most desirable in fishing, 
tempted me to leap from rock to rock till I was well out 
towards one of the deeper parts of the stream. It was 
not a difficult job, for the bowlders used as a bridge 
were large and not widely separated. At last my goal, 
a large flat rock sloping gently downward towards the 
desired pool, was before me. My shoes were well paved 
with hobnails, rather worn it is true, but not enough to 
impair my confidence in them. I stepped upon that rock, 
Avhere I proposed to stop. Too late I found its surface 
was coated Avith a gray lichen, indistinguishable from the 
natui'al color of the stone, and more slippery than ice 
itself. Slowly and steadily, but with a constantly ac- 
celerating velocity, I found myself skating downward 
towards the apparently unfathomable pool below, a help- 
less victim of misplaced confidence. Then I thought 
unutterable things, among the least of Avhich were: How 
deep was the water below ? — should I be obliged to aban- 
don my rod ? — could I get rid of my creel, already quite 



336 Fhj-rods and Fly-tackle. 

heavy with fish? — and how much would the watchmaker's 
bill be? But before a satisfactory solution to any of 
these questions could be reached, the rock came to an end, 
or rather I came to the end of it, and dropping over the 
brink, stood up to my chin in the inclement pool below. 
Before I had walked the three miles Avhich intervened 
between the scene of the immersion and my temporary 
home, I had given considerable thought to the question 
of a secure footing in wading. And by the time I had 
paid for a new fly -book, and the watchmaker had in- 
fused new life into my watch and his demands had been 
satisfied, I had absorbed a strong prejudice against hob- 
nails. Since then the small round-headed nails before 
alluded to have been my dependence in wading, and they 
have never played me false. 

I have never since, while angling, encountered a rock 
so treacherous as that in Pennsylvania, and I believed 
it unique until last fall. 

John and I were returning from a trip of several days' 
dui-ation, having gone north through the woods from 
Parmacheene Lake into Canada, then east to the head- 
water of Dead River, then down the Seven Pond Valley 
to Kennebago Lake, and we were now bound across-lots 
back to Parmacheene. Our way had been through an un- 
broken forest, a large portion of the time relying on the 
compass and sun alone to direct our steps, where no in- 
dication showed that white men had ever before set foot. 
We had backed our heavy packs to the very summits 
of the loftiest peaks of the Boundary Range, and follow- 
ing the ridge for miles, had seen stretching away into 
space the gap through the otherwise unbroken wilder- 
ness which marks the dividing line between Canada and 
the United States. More than forty years before, and 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 337 

when the boundary was laid out, a lane two rods wide 
was cut through the woods, following the water -shed 
which sejjarated the waters flowing into the St. Lawrence 
River from those discharging into the Atlantic Ocean. 
This w%as the treaty boundary; and to-day the old forest 
rises on either side of the new and stunted growth which 
has filled the gap, as the houses rise on either side of a 
city street, nor is the one more clearly marked than the 
other. It is not without emotion that one gazes for the 
first time on this scar uj^on the face of nature, otherwise 
without a blemish, especially should he chance upon one 
of the small cast-iron obelisks which mark it at irregular 
intervals, and bear in raised letters the words "National 
Boundary-line." Then for the first time he fully realizes 
what his surroundings have, till then, seemed utterly to 
deny, that civilized man has been there before. 

But it was not for this that we had toiled so far, for to 
us it lacked the charm of novelty. Our eyes sought and 
rested on Megantic, Rush, and Spider Lakes, and the set- 
tlements of Canada which fringed the wilderness on the 
north; on the Dead River County and the Seven Pond 
Valley, an unbroken forest, gemmed with lakes, to the 
east; and to the south and west upon a sea of mountains, 
range folloAving range like the billows of the ocean, each 
range a different color, to where Mt. Washington, and 
Owl's Head on. Lake Memphremagog, lay dim and shad- 
owy on the distant horizon. 

From the first we had recognized that from Kenneba- 
go Lake to Parmacheene would be the most difficult part 
of the trip, for it was utterly unknown ground, and many 
mountain ranges and one river barred the way. We were 
unable to gain any information either as to the distance 
to be traversed, or how the natural obstacles could be 
22 



338 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

best sui-raounted ; so it was with some surprise I heard 
John answer an inquiry as to how we were to cross the 
river, by saying, in the most off-hand way, we would cross 
on the rocks at the Big Falls — a place wiiich it is doubt- 
ful if a dozen men in the whole country had ever seen, 
and which he himself had visited but once, and then in 
winter. However, we took to the woods one morning 
before seven o'clock, John with forty-one pounds on his 
back and a nine -pound rifle in his hanxl, and I with 
twenty-five pounds in my pack and my tin rod-case, con- 
taining two rods, which I used as a staff. We climbed 
West Kennebago Mountain two-thirds to its summit — 
that mountain over whose perfect cone, so soft and ver- 
dant, thousands of anglers on the Rangely Lakes have 
raved, yet whose sides we found one mass of crags, 
chasms, and windfalls, which, with the heavy grade, 
made the most cruel travelling for a loaded man I have 
ever seen — and finally, after a forced march, without halt 
except for breath, at two o'clock in the afternoon we 
heard the welcome roar, and struck out of the woods di- 
rectly upon the desired spot. The falls were before us. 
Among gigantic bowlders the river foamed and roared in 
a series of moderate pitches, interspersed with dark pools, 
till a bend some distance below hid it from sight. We 
had crossed the greater part of the stream without diffi- 
culty, when we came to a rock about the size of a two- 
story cottage, sloping gently down to a pool, which 
looked uncommonly dark and wet. A ledge about two 
feet wide broke the uniform descent a short distance from 
the top. John paused, and said, "These rocks are pretty 
slippery. You will probably have no trouble with your 
hobnailed shoes, but as I have none, perhaps you had 
better hold the rifle while I climb down to the ledge." 



Miscellaneous Suqqestions 



He did so, and after passing him the rifle I essayed to 
follow. It by no means appeared difticult, but before I 
had completed the second step the tin rod-case was clat- 
tering down the rock towards the jiool, and I, half sitting 
and half lying on my pack, was gliding in the same di- 
rection. The situation was somewhat serious, for unless 
I could get my knapsack off after I was in the water, I 
would undoubtedly be drowned like a kitten tied to a 
brick. However, John managed to " neck " me as I went 
by, and gaining a footing on the ledge, we worked our 
way around to a safer descent, rescued the rods, and sat 
us down to lunch on the rocks, two very leg-weary men. 

We then discussed the hobnail in all its bearings, and 
rendered a unanimous verdict in favor of the small round- 
headed nails. For when worn at all, the former presents 
a flat, polished surface, good perhaps where no safeguard 
is required, but worse than useless in a critical place; 
while the latter, from the smallness and shape of the 
head, are far more prompt to engage with slight inequal- 
ities; and, at the same time, the weight being thrown on 
so much smaller and sharper surfaces, they will cut 
through lichen or dried slime much more readily to the 
rock beneath. Therefore they seem to me unquestiona- 
bly safer, as they certainly are lighter, and more easily 
inserted and replaced. 

I am aware that the larger pai-t of the foregoing is 
pure digression, and that no proper apology can be found 
for its introduction into a book on angling, unless it be 
that the incidents occurred during a trip one object of 
which was to try unfamiliar waters. Yet I must beg 
further indulgence. The merits of that tin rod-case de- 
mand recognition. It was simply a piece of ordinary tin 
leader of one and a quarter inch bore, closed at the bot- 



340 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

torn, and provided with a brass screw cap. A simple linen 
rod-bag went with it. Stowing the detached handle in 
my pack, two butts, three middle joints, and four or five 
tips were placed in this bag, and tied up so they could 
not chafe. The tin case readily held the whole. Not 
only did I find it a most convenient walking-staff through 
over seventy -five miles of foot travel, all of it with a 
pack on my back, and much of it without even a sign of 
a trail, but also after our return it lay day and night in 
our boat, containing spare rods and tips, all of which it 
kept perfectly dry and in good order through rain and 
shine. The first cost is next to nothing, while its further 
superiority over the ordinary bamboo tip-case, in its in- 
difference to weather and far greater carrying capacity, 
have led me to resolve never to go into the woods again 
without one. Nor am I alone in this opinion, for it was 
the subject of constant and invariably favorable comment 
by many other anglers. 

But let us return to the wading-shoes, of which we lost 
sight so long ago. 

Through the uppers at the instep and close to the soles, 
the leather should be pierced three or four times with 
the small blade of a penknife, that when the stream is 
abandoned for, the bank the water may find egress. But 
these holes must be small, and made as I have said by 
a single small cut with closely adjacent edges, or sand 
and gravel will enter, to the great annoyance of the 
angler. 

The drawers and stockings should be of wool, with- 
out the admixture of any cotton whatever. This is of 
the first importance to health. The difference in comfort 
arising from this cause is wonderful. After the first im- 
mersion, with woollen socks and underclothes, the wader 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 341 

will experience no chill in or out of the water, except, 
perhaps, a momentary ring of cold Avhen the water rises 
to an unaccustomed height. He will hardly know, as far 
as any sensation of cold is concerned, wdiether he is wet 
or dry. But if cotton underclothes are worn, or those 
with an appreciable admixture of cotton, a chill is expe- 
rienced at once on exposure to the slightest wind, or even 
on leaving the water when the air is still. This cannot 
but be prejudicial to health. Red Shaker flannel is the 
best material for this purpose, probably because it is hon- 
estly made. I cannot too strongly emphasize this. 

Upon reaching the temporary lodging after the day's 
sport, the wet clothes should be changed at once, and 
the entire body briskly rubbed with a towel ; and this 
before eating. Do not, under any pretext or for any rea- 
son whatever, sit round in your wet clothes, but change 
at once. Then a little drop of spirits, quite dilute and 
perhaps warm, will do no harm. But on the stream and 
while wading avoid this by all means, since the difference 
in temperature between the upper and lower portions of 
the body is already quite sufiicient without any artificial 
stimulant to increase it. With these precautions I have 
never been able to see that Avading was at all injurious. 

When you remove your wading-shoes, offer an induce- 
ment to one of the farm-hands to wash them and give 
them a liberal dose of neat's-foot oil. They will then 
dry soft, and you will not feel, the next time they are 
used, as though you had incased your feet in a burglar- 
proof safe. 

Some Avear rubber wading - stockings ; but unless in 
early May, when the chill of winter is hardly off the 
water, I think poorly of them. As far as keeping the 
wader dry is concerned, they are a delusion; for the 



342 Fly-rods and Fly-tachle. 

perspiration is so condensed within them by the cold of 
the stream, that he who wears them will, at evening, be 
quite as w^et as he who does not. If, however, they are 
preferred, then select those with stocking-feet, and not 
those ending in boots, since the former can be turned 
entirely wrong side out to dry, which is impossible with 
the latter ; the inside will always be found the wetter. 
Also choose those of the pantaloon form, since though 
the depth be not so great, the water will, when the 
wader stands in or forces his way against the current, 
boil up against him, and with mere stockings may over- 
flow the upper edge and load liim up with water. Noth- 
ing is more disgusting than this mishap, nor does any- 
thing so chill the angler's ardor and demoralize him, as 
to be forced to lie on his back on the bank and elevate 
his legs in the air to empty his boots. There is then a 
natui-al affinity between the fluid and his backbone, and 
along the latter a goodly portion always flows to make 
its escape at his collar. But there is to me something 
abhorrent in the idea of being stewed in my own juice ; 
and though I have them, I have not used rubbers in wad- 
ing for years. 

If the stream is a strong one and its bottom rough, 
use a wading-staff of about your own height. On this 
mark two or three rings by removing the bark with a 
knife, to serve as some guide from which to judge the 
depth of the water. Secure this to a button-hole of your 
coat with a string of sufiicient length to permit its un- 
embarrassed use. Then, when a fish is fastened and both 
hands are needed, it can be dropped, relying on the 
string to prevent it from being swept away by the cur- 
rent, and to insure its recovery. It will save many a 
nasty fall and ducking. 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 343 

The landing-net for this fishing should be quite small, 
of oval form, the bow eight or nine inches wide and a 
foot long. The handle need not exceed six inches in 
length, and should be provided with a leather tag con- 
taining a button-hole, to be attached to a button secured 
to the back of the coat just below the collar. This is the 
most convenient way to dispose of a very inconvenient 
necessity. Rattan makes as good a bow as anything. 

When a fish is struck, get him out of the water in 
which he was caught as soon as possible, lest the others, 
which were probably in his company, take alarm — and 
out of the current as well. Play him till quite exhausted, 
then reel him in short, drop your wading - staff, and- 
reach behind and unbutton the net. Then throwing the 
tip of the rod backward, slip the net under him quietly, 
and lift him out. Next support your rod between your 
body and the upper part of your right arm, take the net 
in the right hand, and grasp the fish by the gills with 
the left. Then tuck your net under your left arm, and 
pi'oceed to kill your fish. Never neglect this. It is most 
cruel and unsportsmanlike to foi'ce them to writhe their 
lives slowly away in the creel. This may be instantly 
accomplished by striking the head once or twice upon 
the butt of the rod ; or the thumb may be placed back 
of the head, the forefinger hooked under the upper jaw, 
and the head bent shai'ply over against the back. Death 
is instantaneous. Then unhook the fish, replace the net, 
retrieve your wading-staff, and try for another. 

In wading, keep out of the water all you can, and 
never, if it be possible to avoid it, traverse a spot where 
trout are likely to lie. Remember there may be some 
other angler behind you, and do not spoil his sport be- 
cause you may happen to have found none. It by no 



344 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 

means follows, because you were unsuccessful, that tlie 
pool was untenanted, and if you plunge through it you 
may so alarm the fish that they will refuse to rise for 
hours. 

Not unfrequently gentlemen will be met at a fishing 
locality, whose outfit, chosen in ignorance of the pecul- 
iarities of that water, is utterly unsuited thereto. To a 
brother angler so situated spare freely from your own 
superabundance, giving him all possible assistance. Pro- 
priety and policy alike forbid that the eager competition 
of every-day life should contaminate this sport. Anglers 
gather to a fishing centre from the most distant portions 
of the country, and scatter again to their homes, carry- 
ing with them a fixed opinion of those they may have 
happened to meet. The acquaintances and friendships 
so formed should recall no recollection other than of 
pleasure. That a good name is better than riches is an 
old saying, but it still retains the vitality of youth. He 
who is selfish in his sports is a marked man, for what 
must such a one be in his every-day life ? The true 
angler governs his conduct towards his fellow-fishermen 
by the Golden Rule : " Do unto others as you would 
they should do unto you." He who acts otherwise is 
unworthy the name. As you become proficient, by no 
means forget that you were once a beginner, and to such 
ever extend the helping hand. 

What angle!', as he has removed his catch from the 
hook, has not again and again said to himself, " I won- 
der how old it is ?" and if this is true of the small fish of 
the brook, how much more frequent and earnest must be 
the inquiry when the leviathans of the Rangely Lakes 
are under observation. 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 345 

Some there doubtless are, though their number is daily, 
diminishing, who still question the existence of brook 
trout of the size said to inhabit those waters; but they 
are invariably those who have never seen them in the 
water, or fresh from it. It is not surprising that one 
who regards a two-pound brook trout as a very monster 
should stare with incredulity when specimens of ten and 
eleven pounds ax'e spoken of, more especially if he be fa- 
miliar with the wide discrepancy usual between the esti- 
mated and the actual weight of these fish. If he really 
knows anything about the subject, and has seen many 
such statements as one which fell under my notice a 
couple of years ago — that a trout eighteen inches long 
had been caught in the head-waters of a certain river, 
which weighed five and a half pounds after it was dressed 
— his faith must indeed be quite crushed, and unable to 
answer the most trifling call upon it. 

There really is a fearful amount of lying — honest, not 
mendacious lying — about the weight of trout. Let me 
urge upon the beginner to provide himself with a spring- 
balance at the very outset, and to train his eye and his 
tongue by the graduations upon it. However these 
things may be, the fact remains unchanged, and it cer- 
tainly is a fact, that genuine brook trout of ten and even 
eleven pounds weight have been, and may be taken in 
the Rangely Lakes — the very same species of trout which 
inhabit the mountain streams of New York and Pennsyl- 
vania ; but it is also true that trout of over nine pounds 
weight are quite rarely caught. 

On the 30th of September, 1884, one of the Maine Fish 
Comniissionex'S netted from a pool on Rangely Stream 
nine trout, in the following order and of the following 
respective weights in pounds : l^,' 3, 4-|, 5|-, 6, 7, 7, 1^, 



346 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tackle. 

and 4 — total 46 avoirdupois, not guessed, pounds. The 
pool in which they were found was small, shallow, and 
accessible, and the fish plainly visible ; and it was to 
protect them from the wiles of a possible poacher that 
they were netted, and conveyed to the larger pool below 
the dam. But in the pool last named were then to be 
seen fish beside which the largest of those above numer- 
ated seemed small. It was the general opinion of those 
accustomed to net, weigh, and handle these large trout, 
that two of them would each closely appi'oximate to, if 
they did not exceed, ten pounds. They Avere seen by 
perhaps a hundred jDcople, myself among the number. 

Now how old were these fish, or rather, how many 
years does it take for a trout to reach such size ? Some 
think a hundred years, some thirty, some ten ; but all 
admit that their estimate is mere conjecture. 

The rate at which trout will gain in weight is univer- 
sally admitted to be largely a question of food-supply, 
influenced somewhat by the depth and quantity of water, 
especially if they are left to provide for themselves. We 
all know they are very voracious, and if no limit, except 
their own inclination, were jilaced upon the quantity 
they should eat, that they would stuff themselves like 
pigs. Many a time has every experienced angler taken 
trout on the fly which were gorged with other food. I 
remember once thus taking a half-pound trout in a Con- 
necticut stream which was full up to its neck Avith June 
bags. 

But if they are at times inordinate feeders, they are 
equally proficient as fasters. Mr. Henry Stanley, one of 
the Maine Fish Commissioners, once told me the follow- 
ing case in point. He had carred a number of large 
trout for breeding purposes in October, when he injured 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 347 

his hand and was forced to go out to the settlements for 
medical aid. The consequences of the accident and early 
and heavy snows prevented his retui-n till the following 
spring, yet he found his captives alive and active, though 
all the food they could possibly have had, must have 
been the almost infinitesimal quantity which entered be- 
tween the slats of the car. True, this was largely dur- 
ing the winter, when some suppose trout feed but little. 
Take another case occurring in summer. Some years 
ago the well-known guide John S. Dan forth, to whom I 
have so frequently alluded, had three or four nice large 
fish. He was suddenly called away for what he sup- 
posed would be but a few days. He had taken the trout 
for a special purpose, and wished to save them for the 
end in view; so he put them in a small car, and sunk it 
in about forty feet of water. He was gone some two 
months, and often those unhappy fish weighed heavily on 
his mind. On his return his first step was to raise the 
car. He found them rather " lathy," as he expressed it, but 
alive and well. Of course they were restored to liberty. 
John told me another interesting incident, perhaps 
somewhat remote from the matter in hand, but notwith- 
standing I cannot omit it. While trapping in November 
of 1883, he came across a spawning-bed, upon which a 
quantity of trout up to a pound weight were still en- 
gaged. The water was but about a foot or so in depth, 
and was covered with a thin sheet of ice as clear as crys- 
tal. He is a natural investigator, as I suppose all real 
woodsmen must be. He saw his opportunity, and that 
it was too good to be lost. So unslinging his pack, he 
stood his rifle against a tree, and fumbling in his pock- 
ets, produced a fly and a piece of string. A neighboring 
alder-bush supplied a rod, and rigging it up he cast his 



348 



Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



fly upon, and drew it across the ice over the trout below. 
Again and again they rose with the utmost eagerness, 
bumping their little noses against the under surface of 
the ice. 

Those who rear trout say, that under like conditions 
there is considerable individuality in their growth. Seth 
Green, in his " Trout Culture " (1 870), says with good feed- 
ing they will reach one pound in three years ; that they 
grow slower in running water than ponds; that the rate 
of increase diminishes with age, and puts their average 
longevity at twelve to fourteen years. Norris, in his 
"American Fish Culture," gives an instance of four 
pounds at a little over four years. In a New Jersey 
pond the fry placed therein, with the yolk-sack still at- 
tached, attained two pounds in three years. In a Long 
Island pond trout one year old and five inches long, 
grew to eleven inches in their second year, and in their 
third to fourteen ounces or a pound (thirteen and a half 
to fourteen and a half inches, about) in weight. 

But all these seem to have been cases of domesticated 
trout artificially fed. Some definite knowledge in re- 
gard to the growth of wild trout is very desirable. From 
the very nature of the case it must vary widely in diifer- 
ent localities, since the ultimate result is so different; 
still it would be well if every angler who had any defi- 
nite information on the subject, no matter how restrict- 
ed in scope, should make it a matter of record. Ulti- 
mately some enthusiast would collate these scattered 
facts, and thus and only thus, as far as I can see, can 
the desired information be obtained. 

That I may practise what I preach, I relate the fol- 
lowing incident, one of the pleasantest in my fishing 
experience. 



3lisGellaneous Suqqestions. 349 



During the latter part of September, 1882, John and 
I put eighty trout in a fair-sized pond in North-western 
Maine, having neither outlet nor inlet. It was well 
stocked with minnows and other trout food, but con- 
tained no trout. The water was clear, cool, and quite 
deep. Though John says three or four of these trout 
would then weigh a pound and a half, my own recollec- 
tion is that none exceeded one and a quarter pounds; 
we both agree that few, if any of them, weighed less 
than one pound. They were all taken in two days and 
at one locality, and enough of them were actually 
weighed at the time to preclude all uncertainty in this 
respect, except as above stated. On June 1, 1883, we 
added thirty-six to their number, the largest of which 
weighed just two and a half pounds. I have no mem- 
orandum as to the others, though they were actually 
weighed at the time, but we agree that not one was of 
less than one pound, while the majority approximated 
two pounds, some a little more and some a little less 
than that weight. 

On the morning of September 27, 1884, John sug- 
gested we should visit the pond, and see, if possible, how 
they were getting on. It was something of a job, since 
the distance was considerable, and moreover it would be 
necessai-y to carry a boat quite a portion of the way 
through the woods, and that without a trail. Though 
whether anything would be accomplished seemed prob- 
lematical, since one hundred and thirteen fish in a pond 
of that size doeJi not allow very many to the superficial 
foot ; still we might find them, and the possibility war- 
ranted the effort. 

At the expense of considerable perspiration on both 
our parts the pond was reached, and while he paddled 



350 Fly-rods and Fly-tacMe. 

around parallel to, and at a short distance from the shore, 
I cast towards it. When about one-eighth of the circum- 
ference had been passed, we neared a bend where two 
white-birch trees had fallen into the water years before. 
The smaller branches had disappeared to a great extent, 
but the tops projected some distance under the water, 
leaving quite a space between them. No sign of a trout 
had as yet been seen ; but when I cast towards these tops, 
a swirl, evidently caused by a good-sized fish, followed. 
I struck and fastened him, held him for a moment, when 
the hook detached and he escaped. It was a bitter dis- 
appointment. He was evidently a very nice fish, and the 
opportunity so long desired to obtain at least a little 
definite information of the rate of growth in these waters, 
seemed to have slipped from me at the very moment when 
within my grasp. "It's tough, John, but I've lost him." 
A deep sigh was the only response, and the canoe, mov- 
ing as silently and almost as slowly as the shadow on 
the dial, withdrew about fifteen feet, and presented its 
broadside to the snags. Believing I had exhausted all 
the luck I could reasonably expect in finding one at all, 
I cast once with but little hope, and raised nothing ; 
again, and the water boiled. This gentleman was evi- 
dently in earnest, and I struck him on the instant. At 
once the canoe began to withdraw towards the middle of 
the pond, while with all the bend which could be put 
upon the rod, I supplemented the resistance of the click 
by additional friction applied by my fingers to the line 
— always giving a little, and but a little, and making him 
work for every inch. It was risky — fatal if the hold 
was slight — but it was imperative he should not regain 
the shelter of the snags. The struggle was protracted 
and severe, but at last he swung away from them, and 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 351 

we bad him in clear water. He was a fightei-, and for 
some twenty minutes Ave played the game of give and 
take, till at last he lay exhausted in the landing - net. 
The spring-balance was produced — the identical one used 
when be was originally taken in bis native home — and 
the four-pound mark was plainly visible as be hung sus- 
pended thereon. It was a male, so we knocked him on 
the head, 

" John, do you suppose it is possible we can have struck 
that two-and-a-half pounder? It seems incredible that 
even then he could have increased a pound and a half in 
sixteen months." 

John replied, " I hardly think it can be. My recollec- 
tion is that fish w^as a female ; still I am not sure. At 
any rate, even if it is, it shows a much quicker growth 
than I was prepared for. There were certainly two there, 
perhaps there may be more. Let's try again." 

Once more the canoe stole up towards the sunken birch- 
es. A cast, and nothing came; a second, and the fly was 
taken. The same tactics produced a like result, and a fe- 
male of three and five-eighths pounds was ours. We re- 
stored her to the water. 

" There, John, that will do; let's go home." 

But John was not satisfied. He must have just one 
look to see if there were others there, and what they were 
about. So we approached with caution, and when about 
twenty feet from the sunken birches I saw a trout, ap- 
parently of the same size as those we had already taken, 
swim in among the snags and disappear. 

"John, did you see that fish ?" 

"No, whei-e ? — For Heaven's sake, just look there !" 

This form of expression, so unusual for him, and the ap- 
parent excitenient with which it was uttered, startled me. 



353 Fly-rods and Fly-tacTde. 

We have seen many sights, and have passed through 
inany scenes together well calculated to stir the most 
languid blood, but now, for the first time in our long 
intercourse, did the even balance of his mind seem dis- 
turbed. 

I looked, and upon a sight such as I had never before 
seen. Off the end of the snags, about two feet below the 
surface of the water, and not more than fifteen feet dis- 
tant, a school of trout appeared — not three or foiir, or 
even half a dozen, but I believe at least twenty in num- 
ber. Through the clear water their great white-edged 
fins glistened like silver, and their vivid colors were al- 
most as striking as though we had them in our hands, 
fresh taken from the water. 

For years it had been our constant practice and amuse- 
ment for each to estimate the weight of our larger fish 
when they rose, during their struggle for life, and finally 
when ready for the net; and then at last to compare our 
estimates with the indications of the spring-balance, to 
see who had most nearly approached the truth. We had 
thus acquired no little proficiency in this respect, and a 
close coincidence between the real weight and that as 
finally estimated was almost invariable. 

Unless we were deceived, not a single fish was in that 
school which did not exceed two and a half pounds in 
weight. Some, though we could hardly believe our own 
eyes, we could not place at less than five, while four- 
pounders were plenty. 

Almost breathless we watched them slowly cruising 
about, apparently w^ith utter indifference to the canoe, 
now not five feet from them. 

I could not stand it. "John, I must have just one 
more out of that crowd." And so the canoe was with- 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 353 

drawn, and a cast or two fastened a male trout of three 
pounds, which we returned to the water. 

There was one lady in camp, the only one, who had 
accompanied her husband into the woods now for the 
third season. He was a valued friend, the one who, per- 
haps more than any other except myself, is responsible 
for the existence of this book. She had taken many 
trout with the fly, but none of over a pound weight, and 
was very anxious to exceed that; so we left the pond 
without further disturbing the fish, anxiously discussing 
the possibility of getting her in there. 

By the somewhat free use of the axe, and by taking a 
rather circuitous route it was accomplished. She cast 
that afternoon for an hour without the slightest appar- 
ent indication that there ever had been a trout in the 
whole water. A heavy rain then obliged us to take her 
out through the wet woods, without even a rise to re- 
ward her for her trouble. I was exceedingly chagrined. 
I had told her what we had done and what we had seen, 
and as not the slightest doubt was entertained that our 
success could not only be repeated but easily surpassed, 
I had not hesitated to say so. 

Then I vowed a vow, which I commend to the care- 
ful consideration of all anglers, old and new alike — 
never again, under any circumstances, will I I'ecommend 
any fishing locality in tei'ms substantially stronger than 
these: "At that place I have done so and so; under like 
conditions it is believed you can repeat it." We are apt 
to speak of a place and the sport it afl^ords as we find it, 
whereas reflection and exjDerience should teach us that it 
is seldom exactly the same, even for two successive days. 

The next afternoon was threatening, so we visited the 
pond alone, merely intending to cast over it a little, so as 
23 



354 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tacUe. 

to locate and study the habits of the fish. Hardly had 
we pushed from the bank when we saw a trout roll to 
the surface over towards the birches. Three or four 
casts in that neighborhood fastened it or another, which, 
however, escaped after some five-minutes' play. A cast 
or two rose another, Avhich went off with a sore mouth, 
the hook missing a firm hold. In less than two minutes 
afterwards a four-pound female was fastened, and landed 
after a capital fight. Another female of three and an 
eighth pounds followed. This was an exceedingly gamy 
fish, and took us well out in the pond before it was 
brought to net. We had just disposed of that one when 
up rolled a trout which seemed fully two feet long, and 
slowly swam along the surface of the water for six or 
eight feet with its back exposed. Around it, and in 
plain sight, were some eight or ten other large fish, but 
all of inferior size. Though more distant than the school 
we had seen the day before, they were within reach, and 
the first cast among them attracted the attention of one 
of the smaller ones, which proved to weigh three pounds. 
Subsequently another of unknown size was lost, and a 
male of two and a half pounds was taken. All of these 
fish were returned uninjured to the water. The next af- 
ternoon the lady tempted fortune again, and cast for a 
long time without encouragement. However, I am hap- 
py to say that later in the day she took a female of four 
pounds, 'which, for so vigorous and constant a fighter, 
exhibited surprising endurance; also a smaller one of two 
and a half pounds. 

It is difficult to draw any perfectly satisfactory gener- 
alization from this, since Ave only know Avith certainty 
that none of the trout Vv^e took on September 27th, 28th, 
and 29th, 1884, weighed less than one nor more than two 



Suggestions. 355 

and a half pounds sixteen months before ; for it is hardly 
conceivable that any of the first lot should have attained 
inore than that weight between September 29th, 1882, 
and June 1st, 1883 — only seven months. 

It seems to me, on reflection, that we must have been 
mistaken in the size of the largest fish Ave saw, though 
we judged it at the moment to be twenty-four inches 
long. If so, it must have weighed very closely upon 
one side or the other of six pounds, and that seems ut- 
terly incredible. Clearly the three fish of four pounds 
which were taken could not all have been the original 
two-and-a-half pounder, since they were three different 
fish. Still assuming such to be the case, or assuming 
every trout in the jDond to have weighed two pounds 
and a half on June 1, 1883, the least it seems possible 
to allow is an increase of one and a half pounds in six- 
teen months, a result sufliciently surprising. 

That fishing with the fly is not in greater favor as a 
ladies' amusement is matter for regret. Where the use 
of a boat is practicable, there is no earthly reason why 
they should not derive the same mental, moral, and phys- 
ical benefit from it as do men. It is a gentle pursuit, 
and a cleanly, and afl^ords an ample field for the exercise 
of that manual delicacy and skill for which women are 
pre-eminent ; while at the same time, unlike almost every 
other out-of-door sport, no great muscular exertion is 
required, nor over fatigue incurred. 

Whether the ladies really have their fair share of the 
amusements of life may well be questioned ; while it is 
beyond dispiite that the directions in which custom now 
permits them to seek recreation, are not, to say the least, 
to their physical advantage. 



356 Fly-7'ods and Fly-tackle. 

It is a mistake on their part if they suppose that gen- 
tlemen think them in the way at such times, always pro- 
vided they are reasonable. Some there are, as full of 
whims as an egg is full of meat, whose sole aim and ob- 
ject seem to be to keep half a dozen men skipping about 
on frivolous errands. Excluding such from the enumera- 
tion, men, not of vicious tastes and habits, have, to put 
it mildly, not the slightest objection to the companion- 
ship of ladies in any out-of-door amusement in which 
they are physically qualified to take part ; nor will it be 
other than a pleasure to any angler to afford them all 
necessary assistance and instruction. 

I have seen several ladies accompany their husbands 
to, and take part in fly-fishing. Could they and their 
lady friends but overhear the terms in which other an- 
glers then present spoke of them — unless I am mistaken 
in supposing that ladies do not altogether despise the 
good opinion of men (I speak with diffidence, being a 
bachelor) — and that others should envy their husbands 
the great good-fortune which has fallen to them in their 
wives is not displeasing, then the former would become 
confirmed in, and the latter would at once begin to cul- 
tivate fly-fishing. 

Men hope for something from women beyond seeing 
to the boiling of the potatoes and maintaining discipline 
among children, and that is companionship ; and she who 
is companionable may feel confident that she has a valid 
mortgage on the admiration of all decent men, on which 
not one will make default in the payment of interest. 

The time was, and that at no distant day, when he 
who for a moment deserted the tread-mill of life for any 
purpose disconnected with money-getting, braved the 



Miscellaneous Suggestions. 357 

disapproval of bis friends. Everything which human 
ingenuity could devise and the most liberal expenditure 
could accomplish, had been done for the moral and in- 
tellectual welfare of the nation, but for its physical well- 
being, worse than nothing. 

That day is past. Wisdom is the child of experience; 
and, as one after another of the most promising in the 
race of life dropped from the contest, solely from lack 
of jjhysical stamina to make use of the ability which 
natural aptitude had given and careful training had 
fostered, the eyes of this people opened. That a steam- 
engine, though perfect in design and faultless in con- 
struction, is worthless when coupled with a worn-out 
boiler, is now generally accepted as a truth applicable 
to the conduct of life. Though but in middle age, it 
seems to me I can recognize a marked improvement in 
the physique of the rising generation over that of my 
own. 

Athletics and out-of-door sports have been, and will 
continue to be a priceless boon to this nation. It has 
applied, and it is now applying a remedy to a disease 
which escaped the notice and comment of no intelligent 
foreigner who visited our shores. Though we hear it 
no more, it must not be forgotten that but a few years 
since the pessimist doomed us to extinction as a people, 
and that solely from pure physical decay. 

To the progress of physical education among us, no 
true lover of his country can maintain an attitude of in- 
difference. In the hope that I might perhaps add some- 
thing to the impetus of this, as it seems to me, all-im- 
portant movement, this book has been written. 



INDEX. 



A. 

Adjusting rods, 1Y2, 174, 201. 
Age of trout, 344. 
Ailanthus silk-worm, 64. 
Alaska cedar, 139. 
Aluminum bronze, 97. 

reels, 96. 
Ash, as a rod material, 116. 
Attacus cecropia silk-worm, 57-61. 

polyphemus worm, 63. 

prometheus worm, 63. 
Automatic reels, 95. 



B. 

Bamboo, as a rod material, 109, 152. 

burns upon, 112. 

gluing, 212, 214. 

iiow to order, 113. 

planing, 217. 

quality of, 219. 

selection of, 218. 

testing, 221. 

tips, 207. 

to make four -strand rod, 
208-213. 

to make six-strand rod, 217- 
231. 

rods, selection of, 114. 

repair of, 115, 248. 
Beefwood, or buUit-wood, 133. 
Bethabara, 128. 
Bois d'Arc, or bodock, 135. 



Brass, receipt for blacking, 191. 
Breaks, repair of, 239-246. 

C. 

Calcutta bamboo, 109. 
Casting the fly, 257. 

how to learn, 257. 

position on back cast, 260. 

position on front cast, 268. 

position of elbow, 261. 

position of wrist on back 
cast, 262. 

position of wrist on forward 
cast, 263. 

position of body and unem- 
ployed arm, 263. 

the back cast, 264, 269, 274, 
275. 

the pause, 265. 

the forward cast, 266, 268. 

cast to be noiseless, 269. 

side cast, 269. 

length of, usual, 160, 270. 

long-distance casting, 270. 

purpose of casting, 276. 

maximum fishing cast, 277. 

postponing back cast, 279, 
282, 284, 285. 

not all of fly-fishing, 274, 275. 

practice of left hand, 269. 

the strike, 28, 271, 277, 299. 

cautions to the beginner, 279. 
Cedar, as a rod material, 119. 



Index. 



Cedar, Alaska, 139. 
Cements for ferrules, 169. 
Chowwood, 142. 
Click of reels, 91, 94. 

tempering springs for, 97. 
Comparative weights of rod-woods, 

table, 150, 151. 
Composite rods, 148. 
Cutting, selection, and seasoning of 

rod-wood, 121. 



Dagame wood, 144, 146. 
Do welled vs. simple ferrules, 1Y6. 
Dowelled ferrules, 188, 247. 
Draw-filing, 213. 
Drawn gut described, 67. 
Drawn tubing for ferrules, 188. 
Drop-flies, how attached to leader, 
79. 

how spaced on leader, 82. 

to fasten to leader, 79. 
Dyeing gut, 70. 

loss of strength by, 70, 86. 
Dyes for gut— ink-dye, 71, 73, 326. 

logwood and copperas, 73, 
^328. 

green dye, 74, 326. 

coffee color, 325. 



English rods, 99. 

Experiments to determine best color 
for leaders, 314. 



Ferrules, care in use of, 251. 
cements for, 169. 
dowelled ferrules, 188, 247. 
dowelled vs. simple ferrules, 

176. 
fastening pins for, 171. 
fitting and fastening ferrules, 

168, 189. 



Ferrules, from tubing, 188. 

general discussion of, 175. 
hour-glass ferrules, 186. 
separating, 251. 
sizes and lengths for, 102, 

175. ■ 
Fish-hooks, angle of efficiency, 18. 
barbless hooks, 18, 27'. 
blued hooks, 32. 
holding-power, 16. 
how made, 33. 
how tested, 38. 
how to criticise, 22. 
lightness and neatness of, 16. 
Limerick, Round, and Kirby 

bends, 17. 
mechanics of, 11, 19. 
O'Shaugnessy bend, 27. 
overfineness of wire, 13, 24. 
penetration of, 14-19. 
Pennell's remarks on, 12. 
comments on same, 19. 
Pennell hook, 27, 32. 
short-shanked hooks, 24. 
side-bend discussed, 26. 
Sneck and Sproat bends, 17, 

25, 26, 27, 32. 
small barb, 25. 
strength of, 16. 
straight and curved shanks, 

15, 25, 26. 
theoretically perfect hook 

impossible, 26. 
Fishing-lines. {See Lines.) 
Fishing, color of dress when, 334. 
effect of ripple on, 321. 
by ladies, 355. 
in Maine waters, 27, 255, 

272, 282, 288, 294. 
points for beginners, 279, 

293. 
playing fish when wading, 

343. 
at Rangely Lakes, 288, 294. 
in streams, 253, 279, 333. 



Index. 



361 



Flies, how attached to leader, 79, 
83. 

manipulation on water, 2*79, 
293, 296. 

rules for same, 279. 

for Rangely- Lakes, Me., 302. 

repair of, 252. 

selection of, 275, 287, 291. 

from what depth visible, 330. 
Flj'-casting. (*See Casting the Fly.) 



G. 

German-silver, 1 90. 

to black, 191. 
Glue, liquid, 242. 

the use of, 212, 215, 242. 

water-proof, 243. 
Green dye for leaders, 74, 326. 
Greenheart, 126. 
Growth of trout, 344. 
Gut (silk-worm), 55. 

classifying, 74. 

dyeing, 70. 

domestic manufacture of, 65. 

drawn gut described, 67. 

from American worms, 57, 
61, 64. 

gauge for measuring, 69. 

how and where made, 56. 

loss of strength by dyeing, 
70. 

selection of, 68. 

strength of, 69. 



H. 

Handles for rods, 193. 

finishing, 197. 

position of reel on, 97, 196. 
Hard woods of the United States, 

138. 
Hickory, 121. 
Hobnails, 334, 339. 
Hooks. (*S'ee Fish-hooks.) 



Hornbeam. (/See Ironwood.) 
Hour-glass ferrules, 186. 

I. 

Ink-dye for leaders, 71, 73, 326. 
Invisible knot. {See Knots.) 
Ironbark wood, 143. 
Ironwood, native, 123. 
East Indian, 141. 



J. 

Jucaro prieto wood, 145. 

K. 

Keepers, 202. 

Knots for leaders, 75. 

for fastening off wrappings, 
236. 

invisible knot, 236, 250. 

learning to tie, 82, 233. 

to join line and leader, 80. 

water-knots, 77. 
Kranji-wood, 142, 143. 



Lance wood, 116, 152. 

discoloration of, 119. 
Landing-net for stream fishing, 343. 

course when missing, 253. 
Laslett's experiments on woods, 139. 

table of results, 144. 
Leaders, best color for, 308, 3 14, 322. 

for coloring. {See Dye.) 

material of, 55. 

securing drop-flies to, 79. 

strain on, in fishing, 87. 

testing strength of, 83, 305. 

tying, 74. 

visibility of, 72, 308, 314, 322. 
Letter wood, 131. 
Lines, color of, 317, 329. 

enamelled water-proofed, 43. 



363 



Index. 



Lines, good lines the cheapest, 46. 

grass lines, 40. 

how fastenened to leader, 80. 

how to select, 51. 

length of, 46. 

material of, 40. 

oiled lines, 43. 

raw and boiled silk lines, 42. 

repair of, 253. 

shoddy lines, 41. 

table of sizes, 44. 

tapered and level lines, 44. 

testing, 45, 51. 

water-proofed lines, 43. 

water-proofing receipts, 49. 

what size to use, 46. 
Logwood and copperas d3'e for lead- 
ers, 73, 328. 

M. 

Mahoe-wood, 120. 
Maine trout, 27. 

fishing, 255, 272, 280, 282, 
288, 294. 

wilderness, 336. 



Number of rings, 200. 



Osasre-orange, 135. 



Paddle-wood, or roller-wood, 134. 
Pingow-wood, 142. 
Planes for rod-making, 157. 
Purpleheart wood, 148. 
Pyengadu, 141. 

R. 

Rangely Lakes, fishing at, 288, 295. 

size of trout in, 345. 
Reels, 90. 

automatic, 95. 



Reels, click of, 91, 94. 

construction of, 93, 94. 

diagram of, 95. 

diagram of click, 92. 

handle of, 90. 

location of, 97, 196. 

loose screws, to remedy, 254. 

material for, 96. 

non-fitting reel, use of, 253. 

of aluminum, 96. 

seat, formation of, 196. 
Repairs, 282. 

break at ferrule, 246. 

broken joints, 239. 

frayed line, 253. 

loose screws in reel, 254. 

material for, 240. 

non-fitting reel, 253. 

of bamboo-rods, 115, 248. 

of flies, 252. 

replacing end ring, 249. 

replacing rings, 248. 

splicing breaks, 239. 
Rings, attaching to rod, 199-202. 

number required, 200. 

replacing end ring, 249. 

replacing missing, 248. 

sizes of, 200. 
Ripple on water, effect of, 321. 
Rods, action of, 101. 

bringing top to butt as a 
test, 105. 

cause of breaking, 107. 

desiderata in, 102. 

English rods, 99. 

killing power, 103. 

proper length for, 102, 160. 

rod of the future, 152. 

top-heavy rods, 162. 

varnishing, 197. 
Rod-case, 339. 
Rod-making, 156, 164. 

adjusting rod, 172, 174, 201. 

cements for ferrules, 169. 

determining taper, 162. 



Index. 



Rod-making, draw-filing, 213. 
finishing, 1*73. 
fitting and fastening ferrules, 

168,171,189. 
gluing bamboo, 213-216. 
proportioning rods, 159, 162. 
rings and keepers, 199-202. 
rounding joints, 158. 
split-bamboo tips, 207. 
four - strand split - bamboo, 

208, 213. 
six-strund split-bamboo, 217- 

231. 
tips, 207. 

tools for, 157, 164. 
wrapping with silk, 233. 
Rod material, 99. 

Alaska cedar, 139. 

ash and lancewood, 116. 

bamboo. {See Bamboo.) 

beefwood,or buUit-wood,133. 

betliabara, 128. 

bodock, 135. 

bois d'arc (osage - orange), 

135. 
cedar, 119. 
chow, 142. 
composite rods, 148. 
dagame, 144, 146. 
greenheart, 126. 
hickory, 121. 
hornbeam, 123. 
ironbark, 143. 
ironvvood, native, 123. 
ironwood. East Indian, 141. 
jucaro prieto, 145. 
kranji, 142, 143. 
lancewood, 116, 152. 
mahoe, 120. 
paddle-wood, or roller-wood, 

134. 
pingow, 142. 
purpleheart, 148. 
pyengadu, 141. 
shadblow, 137. 



Rod material, snakewood, or letter- 
wood, 131. 

split-bamboo, 109, 152. 

table of weights of, 150, 151. 

washaba, 130. 
Rod -wood, cutting, seasoning, and 
selection of, 121. 

straightening by heat, 165. 

testing, 126, 166. 
Rubbers for wading, 341. 



Selection and seasoning of rod- wood, 

121. 
Selection of gut, 68, 69. 
Shadblow, 137. 
Shoes for wading, 334, 339, 340, 

341. 
Silk, as a line material, 40, 
Silk, shoddy, 41. 
Silk-worm, anatomy of, 55. 
Silk-worm gut. {See Gut.) 
Silk-worms, American, 57. 

attacus cecropia, 57. 

attacus polyphemus, 63. 

attacus prometheus, 63. 

saturnia cynthia, 64. 

the ailanthus, 64. 
Simple ferrules vs. dowelled, 176. 
Sizes of rings, 200. 
Sorting gut, 74. 
Snakewood, 131. 
Splicing breaks, 239, 245. 

in bamboo, 248. 
Split-bamboo rods, 109, 152. 

tips, 207. 
Springs, tempering, 97. 
Steel rods, 152. 
Strength of trout, 87. 
Striking fish, 28, 271, 277, 299. 



Table of weights of rod materials, 
150, 151. 



364 



Index. 



Testing bamboo, 221. 

hoolvs, 38. 

leaders, 83, 305. 

lines, 45, 51. 

rod-wood, 126, 166. 
Tips, 20Y. 

Tournament, fly-casting, 102. 
Trout, age and growth of, 344. 

feeding and fasting powers 
of, 346. 

habits of, 288, 290, 296. 

hearing power of, 306. 

limit of strain by, 87. 

visibility of objects on land 
to, 318. 

vision of, 307. 

V. 

Varnishing rods, 197. 

wrappings, 206. 
Visibility of leaders, 72, 308, 314, 
322. 



Visibility of objects on land to trout, 
318. 
of objects on surface, limit 

of, 330. 
shadow of rod, 322. 
Vision of trout, 307. 

W. 

Wading clothes, 334, 340. 

handling fish when, 343. 

rubbers, 341. 

shoes, 334, 339, 340, 341. 

staff, 342. 
Washaba, 130. 
Water-proofed lines, 43. 
Water-proofing lines, 49. 
Woods for rods. (-See Rods.) 

comparative weights of, ta- 
ble, 150, 151. 
Wrapping, how done, 233. 

on rings, 199-202. 
Wrappings, varnishing of, 206, 



TWO BOOKS FOR ANGLERS. 



I Gro a-Fisliing. 

I Go a-Fishing. By William C. Prime. Crown 8vo, 
Cloth, $2 50." 

An admirable piece of literary mosaic. It abounds in fresh descrip- 
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It is a volume that will outlive the summer, and many summers, 
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A very entertaining and equally instructive volume. On his line he 
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bits of philology, poetry, and story, beguiling the hours on lake and 
stream with pleasant talk, such as Izaak Walton or Dr. Bethune in- 
dulged in. — Observer, N. Y. 

Hallock's Fishing Tourist. 

The Fishing Tourist: Angler's Guide and Reference 
Book. By Charles Hallock, Secretary of the 
" Blooming - Grove Park Association." Illustrated. 
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Mr. Charles Hallock is one of the few gentlemen who write a book 
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more acceptable to the majority of readers. — Turf, Field, and Farm, N. Y. 



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G-ibson's Camp Life in the Woods. 

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His book is more than a collection of sporting notes and thrilling 
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Hunting Adventures on Land and Sea. By Thos. 
W. Knox. 

Part I. The Young Nimrods in North America. 

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Part II. The Young Nimrods Around the World. 

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BOOKS ON PHYSICAL CULTURE. 



Blaikie's How to G-et Strong. 

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